Over four months ago, City Administrator Em Ang announced that the City of Bacolod would be constructing a 32-room quarantine and isolation facility to the city government. According to her, the project will be turned over by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) at the end of September 2020.
Last Sept. 9, Mayor Evelio Leonardia signed a memorandum of agreement with Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., chief implementer of the National Policy Against COVID-19, to commence the project. The P25 million quarantine facility in Brgy. Alijis was part of the then-planned 362-bed COVID-19 facilities to be supposedly provided by the national government.
The turnover date came and went, and the facility’s opening was once again rescheduled to end of October 2020 due to certain construction delays and lack of utilities. Bacolodnons were starting to be skeptical but nonetheless enthusiastic towards this initiative of the local and national government. Alas, October 30 came but there was still no supply of electricity at the facility. Despite the handover done, the opening date was once again delayed to November 30.
A report by Aksyon Radyo stated that Bacolod City Councilor Renecito Novero clarified the required documents to power the isolation facility in Brgy. Alijis were still being processed. According to Novero, if ever the facility was direly needed, they can tap the City Agriculture Office’s electricity supply near the facility, a practice deemed unlawful especially by CENECO (Central Negros Electric Cooperative). Furthermore, he added that the facility was not needed as of yet, amidst the still rising and prevalent cases of COVID-19 in the city.
November 30 came and went, but still no electricity, water or fence in sight for the now 3-month delayed facility. Now, the city officials have committed to another opening date— next year in January 2021.
Meanwhile, the P4 million DPWH allocated to “repurpose” the evacuation center in Brgy. Vista Alegre into a 45-cubicle isolation facility for COVID-19 mild and asymptomatic patients have also yet to be opened for business, despite Mayor Bing agreeing that the government will facilitate the provisions for water and power supply to this facility.
Digicast Negros reported that in spite of these unaccomplished projects, the mayor has also requested DPWH Secretary Mark Villar if another 32-bed isolation facility may be added in the same location at Alijis.
Additionally, the Bacolod City government just held a groundbreaking for a P260 million “Bacolod Museum”— in Barangay Alijis, too, last December 13, 2020. Despite the unfinished COVID-19 facilities, Sen. Zubiri and Mayor Evelio Leonardia of Bacolod pushed forth the commencement of the 8.8 hectare project along the Circumferential Road, with the hopes of stimulating the economy by creating demand for jobs and construction materials. Yet at this event, Zubiri also emphasized the need for a Bacolod public hospital.
It may also be noted that two months earlier, Bacolodnons were complaining as well of expired relief goods during a round of social amelioration by the same local government.
As of writing, all the projects have yet to be utilized and felt by the public. For now, they are no more than photo-ops and vanity projects.
Paghimutad 