BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia stressed that the City Government has no plan to change the name of the Bacolod City General Hospital (BCGH), which will be constructed in Barangay Vista Alegre.
"There is absolutely no plan to change the name of the proposed hospital in Bacolod City. Not even a thought," Leonardia said in a statement Tuesday, December 14, adding that such claims are unfounded and may be classified as "shooting from the hip."
"To put an end to similar allusions, any plan to change the name of the proposed city hospital is non-existent. It is very clear that Republic Act (RA) 11564, or the law signed by His Excellency President Rodrigo Duterte in June 2021, called for the establishment of the Bacolod City General Hospital. This name, therefore, remains," he said.
The City Council already granted authority to the mayor to sign the deeds of donation and ratified the contracts.
The four-hectare lot was donated by the Gensoli family led by its representative Gloria Gensoli.
Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran earlier said it is part of the Gensoli's condition that the City Government will be given five years to construct the hospital and the complex will be named to their father Teofilo Gensoli Sr.
If permitted by law, he said the lot owner wants to change the name of the hospital into Teofilo Gensoli Sr. Memorial Medical Center.
"The general public must be aware, too, that my administration is pushing for the development of a holistic health complex in Barangay Vista Alegre on a 3.5-hectare property donated by the family of Gloria Gensoli with an addition of .5 hectare (or 5,000 square meters) that will serve as access road for the entrance and exit," Leonardia said.
He said the entire property as a health complex, as concurred by the City Council, will be called the "Teofilo M. Gensoli Memorial Medical Center."
Within it are the Bacolod City General Hospital and the new Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) built side by side in the city's effort to further improve the delivery of health services to the city's growing population.
He added the new CHO is envisioned to expand health services which may include, among others, birthing facilities, dialysis center and laboratories.
On June 24, 2021, Duterte signed into law Republic Act 11564, creating the Bacolod City General Hospital and appropriating funds for its establishment.
Representative Greg Gasataya authored the House bill at the House of Representatives, while its counterpart in the Senate was sponsored by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.
"Let me say this again, for the purpose of emphasizing the facts straight, and so that some quarters will stop shooting from the hip. The name Bacolod City General Hospital stays as stipulated in RA 11564," Leonardia said.
And like the new Bacolod CHO, he said the Bacolod City General Hospital, will be among the structures that will be constructed within the Teofilo M. Gensoli Memorial Medical Center.
The mayor also expressed his gratitude to Duterte for his commitment to provide funds for the hospital construction, as well as Senators Zubiri and Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, and Gasataya for their roles in the legislative process and to the lot donor represented by Gloria Gensoli.
Gasataya earlier said they are only awaiting some documents from the Department of Health, Department of Public Works and Highways and the City Government for the construction of the building.
He said he is hopeful that the construction of the building will start next year.