Carla P. Gomez

Nov32021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Negrense senatorial candidate outlines priorities for youth, poor

Negrense lawyer and author Alex Lacson, who is running for senator under the ticket of Vice President Leni Robredo, said on Wednesday, November 3, that his platform focuses on solutions to uplift the lives of the youth and the poor.Lacson, who arrived in Negros Occidental to join Robredo during her visit to the province on Friday, said his eight priorities include the creation of a center for youth entrepreneurship for those who want to start a business.“The massive unemployment figures demand alternatives for our jobless youth, which should be driven largely by entrepreneurship,” he said.He is also pushing for a national apprenticeship program and Angat K-12 to ensure skills enhancement and work opportunities for the youth given the massive unemployment brought about by the CO...

Nov32021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Two doctors, university dean hit with Covid die, CPSU closed

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The Central Philippine State University in Kabankalan City will be closed for disinfection until November 15.*Photo from CPSU websiteA university dean and two doctors hit with COVID-19 have died, the Kabankalan City information officer said Tuesday, November 2.They were Dr. Lorina Baylon Crobes, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the Central Philippine State University (CPSU) and Dr. Gladys Patindol of the Kabankalan District Hospital in Barangay Tabugon who died on Monday, November 1, city information officer Jake Carlyne Gonzales said.She said a doctor at the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital also died.CPSU president Aladino Moraca said two other faculty members are also in quarantine for COVID-19 and the university has been closed until November 15 for disinfec...

Nov32021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Negros Covid cases dropping, hospitals of province not full

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The active COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental are dropping and its hospitals are not fully occupied.That was the answer of Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz on Tuesday, November 2, to the report of the Bacolod government that half of the patients in the hospitals in the city are from other local government units in Negros Occidental.It is no surprise that since the cases are also high in the province, patients are being brought to Bacolod hospitals for treatment, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in a letter to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Friday, October 29, seeking a downgrade of the Alert Level 4 status of Bacolod.There were 2,496 active COVID-19 cases and four new deaths in Negros Occidental, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported on Tuesday.The De...

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

DOH places Bacolod under AL3, NIATF keeps it at Alert Level 4

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The Department of Health in Western Visayas on Monday, November 1, maintained Bacolod’s alert level status at three despite its being placed under Alert Level 4 by the national Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) from November 1 to 14.Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia has a pending appeal before the NIATF for the downgrade of the city’s alert level to three.The DOH also maintained the COVID-19 risk classification of Bacolod City at moderate, citing the drop of its average daily attack rate from 20.85 percent from October 2 to 15, to 9.19 percent from October 16 to 29.The DOH in Western Visayas also placed Negros Occidental under Alert Level 2 with a COVID-19 risk classification of low.The average daily attack rate of Negros Occidental dropped from 6.61 percent during October 2 to ...

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Quake shakes some parts of Negros, Panay: Phivolcs

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An earthquake rocked Sipalay City and some parts of Negros Occidental at 11:58 a.m. Tuesday, November 2, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.The 4.1 magnitude earthquake with a depth of 024 kilometers was located 09.93 north, 122.40 east - 018 km north 12° west of Sipalay City, Phivolcs said.It was felt at Intensity V in Sipalay City and Cauayan, Negros Occidental, Intensity IV – Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, Intensity III - Iloilo City; Jordan, Guimaras; Bayawan City, Negros Oriental; Bago City, Negros Occidental; Intensity II - La Carlota City and Bacolod City, Negros Occidental and Intensity I - Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental.A second earthquake off Sipalay City was also recorded at magnitude 2 at 12:12 p.m. Tuesday, Phivolcs added.*

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Diaz: Provincewide vax drive for minors starts Nov. 3

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Capitol photoThe Negros Occidental vaccination drive for all minors aged 12 to 17 will start Wednesday, November 3, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.He said the vaccination of the minors will be held at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City and in all local government units (LGUs).The minors will be vaccinated with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, he said.The Negros Occidental Pediatric A3 vaccination drive for minors with comorbidities aged 12 to 17 will also resume at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City on Wednesday and Thursday (November 3 and 4), he said.Local government units are advised to submit lists of their minors with comorbidities for vaccination so schedules can also be set at the Cadiz District Hospital and the Loren...

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Prov’l officials to welcome VP

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The Negros Occidental provincial government will welcome Vice President Leni Robredo during her visit to Bacolod City on Friday, November 5.Robredo is set to pay a courtesy call to Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Capitol in Bacolod City, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.“Of course we are going to welcome the vice president, we will be ready for her visit,” he said.The governor and the other officials of the provincial government will be there to accept her, Diaz said.When asked f the governor is supporting Robredo’s presidential bid, Diaz said only he can answer that.Lacson earlier said as a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, he will support the candidate of his party.Among the activities Robredo will join during her visit wi...

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Capitol employees to get bonuses to ‘perk up spirits’

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The Negros Occidental provincial government is preparing to give year-end bonuses to its employees that will not be lower than what it gave in 2020, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, November 2.Last year, Negros Occidental’s employees received P40,000 each in bonuses.The provincial government employees went through a very rough year and many got sick just to continue public service, Diaz said.“We need to perk up their spirits…and among these are the bonuses that our employees really deserve,” he added.Diaz said the amount of the year-end bonus still has to be presented to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for his approval.The provincial government has received a lot of awards that will be used as support for the bonuses to be given, he said.The governor w...

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Bacolod, Negros hospitals not cutting PhilHealth ties

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There is no move from Bacolod private and government hospitals to forego renewal of their accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) over unpaid claims for COVID-19 cases from last year.Reports from Manila Tuesday, November 2, quoted Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. president Jose Rene de Grano as saying that some private hospitals in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Cagayan Valley and General Santos City are keen to disengage from PhilHealth over its continued failure to pay reimbursement claims.Dr. Ma. Antonia Gensoli, medical director of the Riverside Medical Center Inc., said there has been no move from hospitals in Bacolod City to disengage from PhilHealth.The Negros Occidental provincial government-run hospitals are also not disengagin...

Nov22021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Mayor issues alert level EO pending downgrade appeal

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Mayor Evelio Leonardia has issued an executive order placing Bacolod City under Alert Level 4 while waiting for an answer to his appeal before the national Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for a downgrade to Alert Level 3, Em Ang, Emergency Operations Center executive director, said Monday, November 1.She said Health Regional Director Adriano Subaan, in a teleconference Monday morning, assured that he would favorably endorse to the IATF the city’s request for a downgrade.It appears that the classification of Bacolod under Alert Level 4 was made based on previous data, she said, pointing out that COVID-19 cases and hospital occupancy in the city have been dropping.In fact, the Department of Health in Western Visayas has classified Bacolod City under COVID-19 Alert Level 3, she sai...