The Visayan Daily Star
BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Saturday, September 28, 2019

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) and Mayor Neil Lizares distributed Negros Occidental Health Care Program (NOCHP) cards to 2,327 more indigents in Talisay City yesterday.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Talisay Mayor Neil Lizares and Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) with the recipients of the Negros Occidental Health Care Program cards in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, yesterday.*

The NOCHP beneficiaries are entitled to free hospitalization and health-related services offered by government hospitals in Negros Occidental.

Of the 14,378 enrolled NOCHP beneficiaries in Talisay City, of which 54 percent are senior citizens, a total of 13,718 were serviced by NOCHP with the provincial government spending P9,230,000 for their hospitalization, Lacson said..

Last month, more than 8,000 Negrenses from the cities of Cadiz and Bago were added to the list of NOCHP beneficiaries, on top of 2,000 recipients from Himamaylan City.

The NOCHP, that was started in 2010 by then Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and former Rep. Alfredo Benitez, and implemented in six districts of Negros Occidental, already has almost 300,000 members.

Lacson, who continued the health care programs, said yesterday that the provincial government has spent P287 million for hospitalization and health-related services of the beneficiaries, for the past nine years.

Alfredo Benitez, elder brother of Rep. Benitez, who is now the Economic Affairs consultant of the provincial government, yesterday encouraged barangay captains of Talisay City to exert effort in increasing the number of NOCHP beneficiaries, as the city has the lowest number of recipients, compared to other towns and cities, in the third district.

Rep. Benitez said he expects the newly-approved Universal Health Care program of the national government to boost the implementation of NOCHP in Negros Occidental.

Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen Paduano, Valladolid Mayor Enrique Miravalles, the newly-elected president of the League of Municipalities of Philippines- Negros Occidental chapter, Victorias City Vice Mayor Jerry Jover, Board Member Ernesto Agustin Bascon and members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Talisay City, Javi Benitez and ABS CBN talent Sue Ramirez, joined the NOCHP activity.*