By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – The construction of the La Castellana Municipal Hospital in Negros Occidental got a needed shot in the arm after two lawmakers pledged P5 million each in additional funds.
The first to declare his commitment was Uswag Ilonggo Partylist Rep. Jojo Ang who was matched by Negros Occidental 5th district Rep. Dino Yulo.
Both attended the groundbreaking of the construction of La Castellana Municipal Hospital, a flagship project of Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan, held Saturday at the property donated by the Jalandoni family at Hacienda Grande, Barangay Robles.
Ang said, “I support this project 100 percent because this is for the well-being of the people.”
He added that currently, he has congressional funds in government hospitals that can be availed by patients in the said hospitals.
On his part, Yulo said he sees the importance of having a hospital in the area considering the town’s distance from Bacolod where government and private hospitals are located.
Mangilimutan said the hospital is deemed to address health needs and emergency cases not only of her constituents but of adjacent localities as well.
She cited that even in emergency cases patients have to travel for more than an hour to get treatment in government and private hospitals in Bacolod
“Time is of the essence, it can save lives,” she said.
The mayor told reporters that the local government has allocated P30 million for the construction of the hospital which is part of the P300-million loan package recently availed by the town.
The loan also covered the establishment of the town’s sanitary landfill as well as the acquisition of equipment and vehicles for the different barangays needed in times of disasters and emergencies.
Department of Health-6 Director Adriano Suba-an, who was also a guest in the activity, said the DOH will provide technical support to the hospital.
