Families accompanying patients at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) can now access free overnight accommodation near the hospital, as the Cebu Provincial Government opens a 40-bed shelter for those with nowhere else to stay.
The Pasilongan Center, located along Don Mariano Street near Larsian, across from VSMMC, will begin accepting qualified occupants on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The facility will operate daily from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., providing temporary shelter to patient companions who would otherwise spend the night on sidewalks or pay for lodging while their loved ones receive treatment.
Each occupant will receive a sleeping kit containing a malong, pillow, mosquito net and bedsheets. The center will also have bathroom and toilet facilities.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said the shelter had been planned earlier and should have been made available sooner.
“Having someone in the hospital is already difficult. Family should not have to worry where to go for themselves,” she said.
The center’s capacity is limited to 40 beds, however, and not all patient companions may be accommodated at the same time.
The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) will assess applicants and prioritize residents of Cebu Province.
PSWDO head Marirose Lopez said VSMMC medical social workers would identify potential occupants and forward their names and identification details to provincial social workers.
Applicants must present identification and undergo an interview or assessment before admission. Accommodation will depend on bed availability and follow a first-come, first-served arrangement, Lopez said.
She did not disclose the amount allocated for the project.
VSMMC medical center chief Dr. Gerardo M. Aquino Jr. welcomed the initiative, particularly for families traveling from different towns and cities to seek treatment at the government hospital.
Aquino said the hospital’s one-patient, one-authorized-watcher policy aims to prevent overcrowding and reduce infection risks in patient-care areas.
The restriction is enforced under Hospital Order No. 2024-123, which governs the issuance of watchers’ passes.
“When you take care of the patients, imo pong tan-awon ang infection ba no, kanang sige og pasulod gikan sa gawas,” Aquino said, explaining the need to limit the movement of people inside the hospital.
VSMMC is also improving its referral and triage systems and constructing a four-storey Kaambag clinic building, with its ground floor intended to serve as a waiting area for companions of emergency room patients.
Construction has reached the fourth floor, with completion targeted by the end of 2026 and possible use in 2027.
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