Leni pushes for full operation of Super Health Center

THE city government of Naga is taking steps to acquire additional medical equipment and apparatuses for its primary healthcare centers. Mayor Leni Robredo emphasized the initiative as part of her commitment to ensure that Nagueños enjoy quality healthcare services and faster medical assistance under her “2028 Finish Lines” agenda.

Robredo discussed the matter with local newsmen following inquiries about the expected operationalization of the Naga City Super Health Center (NCSHC) in Barangay Concepcion Pequeña by August 2026.

Aside from the NCSHC, the city currently operates three other primary healthcare facilities: the Our Lady of Lourdes Infirmary in the upland Barangay Carolina, City Health Office 1 near City Hall, and City Health Office 2 located at the Sta. Cruz Event and Evacuation Center in Barangay Sta. Cruz.

“We were able to acquire donations of medical equipment for most of the primary healthcare facilities,” Robredo said.

Robredo added that these strategically located facilities are designed to provide immediate and accessible medical and dental services to patients who do not require hospital confinement or specialist care.

The NCSHC, which held its soft opening on Monday, June 22, is expected to cater to patients from the barangays of Del Rosario, Concepcion Grande, and Concepcion Pequeña.

Dr. Jennette Ruin, the current assistant city health officer at City Health Office 1, was designated as the interim head of the NCSHC.

Ruin said that while the center is not yet fully operational, NCSHC personnel are busy working on the accreditation of the center’s laboratory, X-ray machine, ambulatory surgery equipment, and birthing facility.

Ruin said that by accommodating patients even before full operations begin, the center is also helping raise public awareness that a primary healthcare facility is already available within the community. She explained that the gradual opening of services allows residents to familiarize themselves with the facility. According to Ruin, the initiative aims to assure residents that accessible and affordable healthcare services are now within reach through the Super Health Center.

She added that the Super Health Center is expected to be fully operational by next year, noting that the city’s 2026 annual budget does not yet include appropriations for the facility’s manpower complementation.

Meanwhile, Robredo’s proposal for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hold the plebiscite on Naga City’s Highly Urbanized City (HUC) status simultaneously with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in November this year may gain favorable consideration from the poll body.

The mayor was recently requested to meet with Comelec national officials to discuss the proposal, a development seen by observers as a positive indication that the commission is open to studying the request.

As discussions on Naga’s HUC bid continue, political observers clarified that the city still cannot create a lone congressional district because it has yet to meet the required population threshold of 250,000. Naga currently has an estimated population of around 210,000, leaving a deficit of about 40,000 residents before it can qualify for a separate congressional district. Observers estimate that it could take at least 15 to 20 years for the city to reach the required population level.

Despite this limitation, political analyst Wiselher Mari M. Castañeda, a political science instructor at Ateneo de Naga University, said Naga City’s conversion into an HUC could still bring significant opportunities and development gains.

Castañeda noted that Naga has consistently demonstrated a strong preference for leaders who uphold good governance, transparency, accountability, citizen participation, and effective public service.

For him, the success of an HUC does not solely depend on its legal classification but on the quality of leadership elected by its people.

“The political accountability of an HUC depends on the political will of the constituency and not on the HUC status itself,” Castañeda said. “What matters is how citizens vote and how informed and educated they are in choosing leaders who can genuinely improve the lives of the people.”

He also expressed confidence that Nagueños would actively participate in the forthcoming plebiscite, describing residents as progressive and development-oriented citizens who have historically supported initiatives promoting growth, innovation, and good governance.

Given this civic-minded culture, Castañeda believes Nagueños will recognize the long-term opportunities associated with HUC status and will play an active role in shaping the city’s future through the plebiscite.