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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider 8,000 health cards undistributed in Bacolod

8,000 health cards undistributed in Bacolod

Published Aug 19, 2025 08:47 pm
BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Greg Gasataya announced on Monday that 7,978 Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) cards were undistributed during the term of former Mayor Albee Benitez.
CLOSE to 8,000 Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) cards were undistributed during the term of former Mayor Albee Benitez. (Bacolod City Communications Office)
CLOSE to 8,000 Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) cards were undistributed during the term of former Mayor Albee Benitez. (Bacolod City Communications Office)
In a press briefing, Gasataya expressed concern over the unreleased cards that cost the city P120 each to print.
“It’s very unfortunate when I found out two to three weeks ago that there were thousands of BacCHP cards that were not released,” the mayor said. Thirteen cards were found to be duplicates.
Gasataya questioned why the cards were not released to beneficiaries despite being fully printed and ready for distribution.
He tasked Secretary to the Mayor, Marty Go, to request an explanation from former BacCHP focal person Engr. Mae Cuaycong.
Gasataya said that he received numerous complaints about the non-release of cards.
In response, Cuaycong claimed that only about 2,000 to 3,000 cards were held back due to the election ban, which limited distribution to barangays, schools, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facilities.
However, Go said that a review showed that nearly 8,000 cards were indeed not released, some with printing errors or duplications.
Gasataya said there was no basis to halt distribution during the campaign period as BacCHP is a city government service.
“Granting it was a campaign period, if you look at it, there’s no violation committed to distribute the cards because it is part of the services of the city government and it’s not money that was supposed to be distributed,” he said.
“Why didn’t they distribute the cards beforehand? They were not efficient because of what they did,” he added.
To address the lapse, the city government validated and have started distributing the remaining cards, completing releases in smaller barangays, with ongoing efforts in larger ones.
The barangay with the most undistributed cards was Estefania (637), followed by Taculing (592), Villamonte (543), Alijis (488), and Vista Alegre (395).
Gasataya assured residents that enrolled beneficiaries can still avail of medical aid without the card, as long as they are registered.
For this year, BacCHP has 144,691 registered beneficiaries, with a budget of P137.6 million. Each cardholder is entitled to P15,000 in medical assistance usable in accredited public and private hospitals.
The BacCHP is aimed at optimizing public resources to ensure accessible and responsive healthcare for Bacolod residents.

Related Tags

Bacolod City Health cards Mayor Greg Gasataya Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program BacCHP
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