BACOLOD Mayor Greg Gasataya confirmed that at least 8,000 Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) cards had not been distributed to the beneficiaries since 2024.
Gasataya said he found out three weeks ago that there were thousands of BacCHP cards that were not released.
“It was very unfortunate that I found out this (unreleased BacCHP cards),” he said. “Why they failed to distribute it to the beneficiaries?”
The mayor said that he already directed Secretary to the Mayor Marty Go, also a focal person of BaCHP, to write a letter to the former focal person of BacCHP, Mae Cuaycong.
Gasataya said they received some complaints about the unreleased BacCHP cards.
"We validated all the cards and we already coordinated to the barangays for the distribution of the cards," he said.
He added that based on their inventory, a total of 7,978 BacCHP cards were not released and 13 cards were duplicates, costing P128 each for the City.
For his part, Go said that they already issued a notice to explain to Cuaycong and she also submitted her response.
Based on her reply, Cuaycong admitted that there were cards that were not distributed but it was only around 3,000 because of the election banning period.
Go said they found out that some of the cards were doubled in printing due to some errors.
"Maybe it’s part of the reasons why it reached to at least 8,000, but for now, we will reconcile our records to determine the final data," he said.
He added that at present, the City already issued 144,691 BacCHP cards to the beneficiaries.
Go noted that the City allocated at least P137 million for BacCHP program in 2025.
"We assured that we have an enough budget for BacCHP program," Go said.
He said the BacCHP beneficiary is entitled to P15,000 for hospitalization, and if it’s already consumed, the beneficiary can avail himself/herself of the same amount after three months.
He added that the dependents of the BacCHP's beneficiary can also avail themselves of the same amount for hospitalization.
The City Government of Bacolod launched the BacCHP program in 2022 under the leadership of former mayor and now Congressman Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
The City also signed an agreement with various private hospitals, as well as to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital for the implementation of BacCHP program.
Benitez earlier said the hospitals will no longer ask for a downpayment from the BacCHP card holder.
“Once you are admitted in the private hospitals and you are BacCHP card holder, the hospital will not ask you for a downpayment and they will accommodate the patient,” he said. (MAP)