In Bacolod City, a bustling urban center, more than 10,758 locals have taken advantage of the hospitalization support offered through the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) as of November this year. This initiative has seen a total of 267,319 residents registered, with 71,887 of them receiving family health cards.
Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has expressed gratitude towards the seven hospitals in the city that have collaborated with the local government to execute the BacCHP. Since its inception on May 1 of the previous year, the program has allocated over PHP100 million to assist with hospitalization costs for its members.
On November 5, the city received an additional PHP50 million from the Department of Health, following a request by Mayor Benitez to help manage escalating healthcare expenses. This funding, approved by the DOH, will be directly allocated to the seven hospitals accredited under the program.
Under the BacCHP ordinance, each health card holder is entitled to PHP15,000, and their dependents are covered for hospital bills. The city’s partner medical facilities include the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, managed by the Department of Health, and several private institutions such as Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital, South Bacolod General Hospital and Medical Center, Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital (Riverside Medical Center, Inc.), Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, The Doctor’s Hospital, and Metro Bacolod Hospital and Medical Center.
A significant benefit for BacCHP members is that private hospitals do not require a deposit or downpayment upon admission. Additionally, costs covered by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation are subtracted from the total bill, and patients are encouraged to seek further assistance from national government agencies to cover any remaining expenses.