LAPU-LAPU City will improve its healthcare system, with a focus on transparency and financial assistance for residents, according to outgoing Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan.
Chan, who is moving to a congressional role, detailed his priorities for improved health services alongside ongoing infrastructure projects. He won the city’s lone seat in the House of Representatives in the May 12, 2025 midterm elections.
Under the new healthcare initiatives, residents will be eligible for letters of guarantee for private hospital care. This includes an initial P50,000 in assistance, contingent on the specific case, to help ensure patients receive necessary medical attention.
To enhance transparency, screen monitors will be installed at the city hospital in Barangay Gun-ob. These displays, similar to airport information boards, will show real-time hospital capacity, including patient numbers, overall capacity and bed availability.
Planned expansion
The city hospital is also scheduled for expansion. It will extend onto the lot currently occupied by the Gun-ob Barangay Hall after the barangay hall is relocated.
Chan said patients will no longer experience neglect in public hospitals. This statement follows an earlier report concerning an 18-year-old woman who reported verbal mistreatment by an attending obstetrician during childbirth. The job order hospital staff member involved in that incident was dismissed on Feb. 20.
According to Chan, a meeting with doctors and health personnel is planned. The meeting aims to improve services and eliminate negative patient experiences. Such experiences have often been linked to high patient volumes and limited staffing.
The incoming lawmaker also committed to prioritizing ongoing infrastructure projects that include the Lapu-Lapu Expressway, various road and drainage initiatives, and a coastal road designed to alleviate traffic congestion. / DPC