Maribojoc Mayor Jojo Rojas has voiced strong opposition to a provincial government proposal to convert the Maribojoc Community Hospital into a drug rehabilitation facility, citing fears over accessibility, safety and security for nearby residents.
The proposal was discussed during a joint hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s committees on Government Properties, Enterprises and Related Undertakings; Health and Public Sanitation; and Peace and Order and Public Safety. Board Member Greg Jala led the hearing.
Rojas said he opposes removing the hospital’s current services, which he described as essential for treating minor illnesses and meeting the everyday health needs of residents in Maribojoc and neighboring towns that are farther from other medical facilities.
He also raised safety concerns, noting that the hospital sits in a congested area close to many homes.
He said the site’s suitability for a rehabilitation facility should be studied before any conversion moves forward.
A civil engineer and safety practitioner by profession, Rojas said the hospital’s location and surroundings must be carefully weighed against the requirements of a rehabilitation center.
He suggested the province instead look at other, more spacious sites in Bohol that are farther from residential areas, and said any decision should account for safety, accessibility and resident welfare — not just the need for a rehabilitation facility.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan committees said an ocular inspection and public hearing will be scheduled to assess the facility’s condition and gather input from local officials and residents.
Provincial General Services Office chief engineer Eustaquio Caliao proposed broadening the concept beyond drug rehabilitation, suggesting a more comprehensive wellness or rehabilitation facility that could serve a wider range of patients requiring intervention.
The committees said they will continue studying the plan, incorporating technical assessments, safety concerns and community input, with the inspection and hearing expected to help determine whether to proceed in Maribojoc or identify another site.
Bohol currently has no dedicated drug rehabilitation center; residents needing treatment are referred to facilities outside the province, including a residential rehabilitation center in Argao, Cebu.
Gov. Aris Aumentado first floated Maribojoc as the site for the province’s rehabilitation center in August 2025, with plans for a facility built adjacent to the hospital.
An earlier proposal to repurpose the Bohol Youth Home in Cortes for the same use was shelved over concerns about placing recovering drug users alongside children in conflict with the law housed there.