The city government here is expected to receive more funds for the establishment of the Bacolod City General Hospital after President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into law Republic Act 11564 for its creation and funding.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in a statement on Monday that Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri committed to look for funding sources aside from the amount stated in the counterpart bill he sponsored in the Senate.

“It is happy news that Senator Migz informed me that in addition to the PHP600 million that was initially provided for in the bill, he will find other sources starting with an allocation of PHP200 million to augment its budget,” he added.

Leonardia said he personally called Zubiri to thank him again for sponsoring the bill creating the Bacolod City General Hospital, and reiterated his request for assistance to explore other ways to enhance the financial feasibility of the hospital once it is operational.

“I then appealed to him that it would be best to get the most financial help we could from the national government, considering that the local budget could be substantially affected by its operation,” the mayor said.

He added that Zubiri’s desire to help Bacolod was a decisive factor after Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya sponsored the bill and had it approved in the House of Representatives.

The senators unanimously voted, 23-0, to pass Senate Bill 1647 sponsored by Zubiri while Gasataya authored the counterpart House Bill 6731.

“Finally, our dream of having our own hospital in Bacolod City will soon be realized,” Gasataya said after the signing rites on June 24.

RA 11564 was among the 16 legislative bills — the majority of which address the establishment of public hospitals and increasing the bed capacities of existing hospitals across the country — that were signed by the President at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang. (PNA)