• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Sangguniang Panlungsod is asking P170 million in financial assistance from Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri to complete the Bacolod City General Hospital (BCGH) and the Museum/Multipurpose Building.
The request for assistance through resolutions authored by Councilor Jason Villarosa and approved by the SP Nov. 12, took note of Zubiri’s commitment to support the completion of the two infra projects.
The BCGH in Barangay Vista Alegre will serve as the city’s very own public hospital to minimize congestion at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Villarosa said in asking Zubiri for a P100 million assistance.
The remaining P70 million will be for phase 7 of the Bacolod Multipurpose Building and Museum, he added, noting that Zubiri has expressed support for its completion to establish a hub for economic growth.
“Its completion will create…an identity that Bacolod will soon become a destination for business, wellness, and cultural experience,” Villarosa said of the museum in Barangay Tangub that, he added, is “expected to create revenues for the City by accommodating conferences, seminars, and gatherings of large number of people.”
Zubiri was guest of honor at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the BCGH in Sept. 2022, and Dec. 2020 for the museum/auditorium that was later redesigned to cater to sports, concerts, and conventions.
The senator, who traces his roots to Negros Occidental, inspected the two projects in July this year, and said the hospital’s opening is eyed in 2027, and the museum in 2026.
“Malaking tulong po ang Bacolod City General Hospital para sa mga taga-Bacolod at Negros Occidental. By 2027, inaasahan nating bukas na ito at handa nang magbigay ng dekalidad na serbisyong medikal sa ating mga kababayan,” Zubiri said in a socmed post July 3. “Samantala, ang Bacolod City Museum ay magsisilbing puso ng sining at kultura sa lungsod. Dito natin ilalagay sa spotlight ang mayamang kasaysayan at talento ng mga Bacolodnon. At good news: matatapos na ito by January 2026!”
Zubiri allotted an initial P200 million for the BCGH in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, after Republic Act 11564, the law that establishes the BCGH, was signed by then president Rodrigo Duterte on June 24, 2021, with a P600 million allocation. The senator later committed an additional P400 million for the hospital’s completion. | CGC
