RIVERSIDE Bacolod Cancer Care Center, the first and only cancer care center in Negros Island, opened its doors on Wednesday, December 5.

Leading the inauguration rites were Jose Noel de la Paz, director for corporate development of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation; Andres Licaros Jr., president, and CEO of Asian Hospital and Medical Center; Genesis Goldi Golingan, president and CEO of Riverside Medical Center Inc.; and Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

It was a new development for Bacolod City and the province as cancer patients and their families does not need to go in Cebu or Manila to undergo treatment.

Based on the statistics, each year, around 98,000 people are diagnosed with some type of cancer in the Philippines.

Every year, around 59,000 die due to cancer.

“This will become operational by February next year (2019),” said Golingan.

The center will be manned by highly skilled medical personnel specializing in cancer medicine, he added.

Their medical services will include consultation, radiation therapy, brachytherapy, and survivorship counseling.

Doctors Monique Barandino, Mile Mejia, and Paolo Sogono, along with Karl Dimaano and Paolo Jesus Esteban will man the center.

They promised to give only the best medical care that the patients need.