First gov't-run cancer care center in Negros Island opens
Published Aug 20, 2025 05:53 pm
NEGROS Occidental sixth district Rep. Mercedes Alvarez, Mayor Greg Gasataya, Cancer Care Center head Dr. Adonis Guancia, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital
chief Dr. Joan Cerrada, Vice Mayor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, and Department of Health (DOH)-Negros Island Region (NIR) Regional Director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao inaugurate the P35-million Cancer Care Center in Bacolod City on Wednesday, Aug. 20. (Glazyl Masculino)
BACOLOD CITY – The first government-run cancer care center in the Negros Island Region opened on Wednesday at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in this highly-urbanized city.
Beginning Aug. 26, the center will start accommodating and offering free chemotherapy sessions to a maximum of 40 patients per day, significantly expanding access to cancer care in the region.
The inauguration of the P35-million, two-story facility was led by CLMMRH Medical Center chief Dr. Joan Cerrada and Department of Health (DOH)-NIR Regional Director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao, along with Mayor Greg Gasataya, Negros Occidental sixth district Rep. Mercedes Alvarez, and Cancer Care Center head Dr. Adonis Guancia.
Cerrada recalled that the journey to establish this facility began in 1994 when Guancia, with Faces Foundation and the Andres Soriano Foundation, established the first oncology unit on the island.
In 2022, then CLMMRH Chief Dr. Julius Drilon and Guancia secured Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) funding, with support from then Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya, to build this center and expand patient access and experience.
Cerrada said the center pays tribute to those who died and for the brave who continue to fight cancer. “While we now have more ‘weapons’ in our hands to fight cancer, we remain true to our mission, and that is to provide care and hope to our cancer patients and help them fight stronger,” she added.
Cerrada said that cancer is the second highest cause of mortality among Filipinos and has become a primary health concern, citing data in 2022 showing 190,000 patients diagnosed with cancer and 113,000 deaths that same year. “It is then important that cancer care should be accessible, comprehensive and affordable,” she added.
Cerrada said the center caters around 180 pediatric patients and around 1,500 adult cancer patients per year, and through programs like the Cancer and Supportive-Palliative Medicines Access Program (CSPMAP), Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF), and PhilHealth’s Z-Benefit packages, many patients already receive substantial financial support.
These efforts, in collaboration with DOH, PhilHealth, and CLMMRH, have enabled no-balance billing for cancer patients with basic accommodation, she added.
Hao emphasized the center’s national significance. “This is a milestone not only for NIR but for the country. Our goal has always been to bring expertise, equipment, and services closer to communities—not just concentrate them in Manila.”
Hao said the center is equipped to deliver IV chemotherapy, bone marrow biopsies, lumbar punctures, intrathecal chemotherapy, child life services, and seamless referrals for radiotherapy.
It is also designed with the financing systems to protect patients: PhilHealth's Z-benefit packages and the Cancer Assistance Fund which will ensure that treatment is not only available but accessible.
“This center is not just a treatment site. It is the apex of a regional cancer care network,” Hao said, adding that it must not only treat patients within its walls; it must also cultivate a network that ensures no cancer patient in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, or Siquijor is left behind.
“Cancer will remain one of our toughest public health challenges in decades to come. “This is the work ahead. It will not be easy, but it is necessary,” she said.
The new facility has consultation rooms, counseling areas, and chemotherapy infusion services on the ground floor, while the second floor offers Child Life Program Clinic, Survivorship/Quality of Life Clinic, Cancer Research Office, Multi-Disciplinary Conference Room, Oncology Pharmacy, DOH-PhilHealth Access Office, Billing, and Social Services.
Gasataya, who helped secure funds for the construction of the facility, expressed pride and gratitude. “This is part of a national government program that we’ve pushed for since 2022. It’s a dream come true for Bacolod and Negros.”
He noted that the center’s establishment aligns with the hospital’s expansion law, increasing CLMMRH’s bed capacity from 400 to 1,000 beds. Future plans may include construction of a third and fourth floor, pending additional funding from the national government.
“This isn’t just another project—it’s one of the most important, because it directly serves the people,” Gasataya said.