San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan has opened its 20th healthcare facility called Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) designed to provide “comprehensive medical services” to the city residents.
In her remarks, San Jose del Monte Rep. Florida Robes underscored the importance of the initiative in easing the burden on hospitals and providing immediate and cost-free healthcare and medicines to her constituents.
She also highlighted that the construction of the healthcare facility was “made possible by a government that genuinely cares and is attentive to the needs of its people, especially the indigents. “
“It is not impossible to monitor everything if we people in the government who serve straight and right, thinking of what is good for you and every Filipino family, particularly the San Joseños,” Robes said.
SJDM Mayor Arthur Robes also acknowledged the Department of Health’s (DOH) continuous support. "I’d like to thank the Department of Health for their continuing collaboration so that we will have this mini-hospital, to help our needy citizens,” he said.
Through the initiative of Rep. Robes, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed among her office, the city government of SJDM, and the DOH. The facility will be managed by the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital and Sanitarium.
Dr. Roselle Martin, one of the key figures in its operation, detailed the range of free medical services available, such as general surgery for lump removal, reproductive health, bilateral tubal ligation, implants, and family planning methods.
The establishment of the BUCAS Center was made possible through the efforts of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., under a joint initiative to bring healthcare services closer to various communities across the Philippines.
The BUCAS Center in San Jose Del Monte is part of a larger plan to construct 28 such centers by 2028, aimed at serving 28 million poorest Filipinos. DOH Undersecretary Dr. Emmie Liza Perez-Chiong noted the progress of the initiative, saying, the plan was to have 28 BUCAS centers by 2028.
The initiative draws inspiration from the ‘LAB For All’ project of First Lady Marie Louise Araneta Marcos.
"We want to institutionalize the LAB For All concept through BUCAS centers, to bring the best to the poorest in terms of urgent care and ambulatory services," Herbosa said.
With ongoing efforts to prioritize regions with the highest poverty incidence and population-to- health center ratio, the BUCAS initiative is a significant step towards enhancing the healthcare system in the Philippines and ensuring that medical services are within reach for every Filipino family.
