Cotabato provincial medical assistance program gets P20-M grant

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Local executives in the 17 towns in Cotabato were elated with the allocation of P20 million by the office of Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines Party-List for a province-wide medical support program for marginalized residents.

Midsayap Mayor Rolly Sacdalan, who has mixed Muslim and Christian constituents, told reporters on Saturday, September 28, that they shall help their provincial government efficiently implement its Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients, or MAIP Program.

“That is something so good for poor villagers in Cotabato province who need support for treatment of various ailments in hospitals,” Sacdalan said.

Deputy Speaker Mendoza has just provided the MAIP Program with a P20 million grant from his office to boost its implementation in Cotabato province. 

The provincial government of Cotabato, Deputy Speaker Mendoza and Cotabato 3rd District Representative Samantha Santos shall together oversee the MAIP Program, according to radio reports on Saturday in Cotabato City and in nearby Central Mindanao provinces.

The MAIP Program shall involve 10 hospitals in Cotabato province and another in General Santos City.    

Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, officials of different divisions under her office and representatives of the two lawmakers discussed, during a dialogue just this week, the modalities of the MAIP and how beneficiaries can fully benefit from it.

Mendoza, who is chairwoman of the Regional Development Council 12, said that residents of different towns in the province and Kidapawan City, the provincial capital, who would apply for MAIP support shall be screened extensively to ensure that they are indeed indigents and are from the local communities.

The mayor of Kabacan, Evanceline Pascua-Guzman, whose municipality is in the third congressional district of Cotabato, said their local government unit will initiate measures complementing the policies of the MAIP Program.

“That is a project that deserves all out support from all local government units in the province,” she said.