BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Friday, June 28, 2019

VICTORIAS CITY – The rendering of services to Negrenses is not yet over for Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, whose term as congressman of the 3rd district of Negros Occidental, ends Sunday.

Representative-elect Jose Francisco Bantug Benitez, in the presence of his wife, Charlotte and daughters, Nuria and Ariana, takes his oath of office before his elder brother, outgoing Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (left) at the Victorias City Coliseum, last night.*

Benitez, who accepted the offer of incoming Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson to be the economic and investments consultant of the province on a pro-bono basis, expressed last night satisfaction with his performance for nine years as congressman, with the implementation of the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Care Program (NOCHP) as his flagship program.

“Definitely, this is not a goodbye,” Benitez, who was pushed to run for governor of Negros Occidental, but gave way to Lacson, stressed.

Benitez, in his State Of the District Address last night at the Victorias City Coliseum, which was attended by all the elected officials in the 3rd district, from mayors down to barangay captains, as well as school principals and officials of the Department of Education, enumerated his accomplishments in the district for nine years, that helped address the basic needs of his constituents.

Of more than 90,000 families in the 3rd district, Benitez reported that 77,013 families were enrolled in the NOCHP, and 123,036 individuals had been served, making them on top of the list of beneficiaries all over Negros Occidental.

Started in 2010 by the provincial government of Negros Occidental, in tandem with Benitez and other Negros solons, NOCHP provides free health services to its members upon confinement in government managed hospitals.

More than 300,000 families have been enrolled in NOCHP.

The Nikki Cares Foundation, which was organized by Nikki Benitez, wife of outgoing Rep. Benitez, in tandem withthe Makati Medical Center and other private health care facilities, volunteer doctors and nurses, also offers free surgical services and medicines, that were availed of by 854 patients, since it was launched in 2017.

The actual cost of free surgical services is estimated at more than P30 million, Benitez added.

He also facilitated P53.3 million worth of medical assistance to two local hospitals in Negros, through the help of Department of Health. At the same time, P29.2 million worth of burial assistance was extended to 6,061 beneficiaries in the district.

Records also showed that the office of Benitez helped 14, 286 students, who availed of his scholarship program, while 37 schools were given Alternative Learning Boards.

Benitez said he want his younger brother to continue the programs he had started in the 3rd district, including those that have yet to be finished, stressing that he has the skills, talent and support of everyone.

In his nine years as congressman, Benitez reported that 214.7 kilometers of roads in the district had been constructed and rehabilitated, with a total budget of more than P6 billion, including the tourism loop project in Silay City, as well as the ongoing Bacolod-Negros Occidental economic highway.

This was on top of P1.2 billion worth of bridges that were constructed, as well as P1.8 billion of flood control projects, in tandem with concerned government agencies, construction of 30 kilometers farm to market road, as well as farm to mill to road with a budget of P471.6 million.

Benitez also reported that 1,221 hectares of farms were irrigated in the district, construction of 77 barangay halls and 1,317 classrooms through the Department of Education and PAGCOR.

He also authored the Sugarcane Industry Development Act, which provides funds for the modernization of the sugar industry, and the creation of Department of Human Settlement, as the chairperson of the Committee on Housing and Urban Planning.

Incoming Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, who initially admitted to be reluctant in joining politics, said that he is ready to face the challenges ahead of him, as he is also banking on the support of his brother.

There is much work to be done, the younger Benitez said, as he vowed to continue the transformation of the 3rd district.

Reelected Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen Paduano also took his oath of office before outgoing Rep. Benitez, which also activity also attended by Governor-elect Eugenio Jose Lacson, Francis Frederick Palanca of Victorias City, Marvin Malacon of EB Magalona, Mark Golez of Silay City, Neil Lizares of Talisay City, and Victor Gerardo Rojas of Murcia, Board Members Andrew Montelibano, Ernesto Agustin Bascon and Juvy Pepello, among other elected officials.*