MAYOR Roberto “Nonong” Palomar Tapaz mayor mulls new hospital

By: Felipe V. Celino

TAPAZ, Capiz – Mayor Roberto “Nonong” Palomar is planning to put up a municipal hospital here with a capacity of 150 to 200 beds.

Palomar said he made the decision after visiting the provincial-government run Tapaz District Hospital (TDH) which only has a 25-bed capacity.

He said “this could be an ultimate project” of his administration.

Palomar said hospital is part of his dream of converting the town into a city in the coming years.

Questions were raised at the 3-year-old Tapaz District Hospital (TDH) due to allegations that substandard materials were used in the project.

Alleged defects in the TDH were discovered recently after outgoing Governor Antonio del Rosario inspected the hospital building few months after it became operational.

Dr. Jean Gloria, TDH medical chief, raised the alleged defects to the governor, particularly in Phase ll of the project.

Gloria said Phases I and II of the project were initiated during the administration of former governor Victor Tanco Sr. while Phase lll and IV were implemented in Del Rosario’s term.

More or less P16 million was spent on the project implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPHW).

CY Construction, the contractor of the TDH project, said the building incurred minor defects, which it is willing to correct.

Engr. Renan Juanillo, CY project engineer, denied that substandard materials were used in the P16-million project.

Aside from the hospital, Palomar also also envisions an airport in the town.

Two years after he was elected mayor in 2016, Palomar was chosen as to head the Central Panay Economic Unification (CPEU) on Sept 25, 2018, in Libacao, Aklan.

The CPEU was organized in 1996 during the time of former Mayor Ethel Jinon of Jamindan, Capiz.

Tapaz is composed of 57 barangays and classified as a first class municipality in the second district of Capiz.

According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 51,313.