BACOLOD CITY – The Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) has been recognized for its outstanding performance, receiving the Excellence in Health Compliance and Responsiveness award during the 2024 Excellence in Local Governance (EXCELL) Awards of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 6 (Western Visayas).
The award ceremony was held in Iloilo City on Tuesday.
BacCHP focal person Mae Cuaycong expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating that it validates the efforts of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez in providing accessible healthcare services to Bacolodnons. "Some people said that BacCHP is an impossible dream, but now it has touched thousands of lives and will continue to do so," Cuaycong said. "Bacolodnons can count on the local government to help them in times of need."
Cuaycong, along with BacCHP special consultant for health Dr. Eric Saratan and medical director Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr., received the award from DILG-6 Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero.
Considered a significant success story by DILG-6, the BacCHP was established through an ordinance authored by Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, chairman of the City Council Committee on Health.
Launched in 2022, the BacCHP has already benefited over 259,000 individuals. It is an innovative program that aims to provide accessible healthcare by offering family cards to cover emergency medical expenses and partnering with seven local hospitals.
The family card ensures that no Bacolodnon is denied medical care due to financial constraints, particularly during emergencies.
Since the program's curative phase began in May 2023, the city government has disbursed a total of PHP100.46 million in assistance to accredited hospitals.
Under the BacCHP ordinance, the city government provides PHP15,000 for each health card holder and covers hospital bills for their dependents.
Partner medical facilities include the DOH-retained Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital and private institutions such as Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, South Bacolod General Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital, Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, The Doctor's Hospital, and Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center.
In November, the city government received a PHP50 million assistance from the DOH, which was directly channeled to the accredited hospitals to address rising healthcare costs.
The BacCHP also encompasses various health initiatives, including mobile blood donation campaigns and medical missions.
This recognition underscores the commitment of the Bacolod City government to improving the health and well-being of its constituents.
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