Carla P. Gomez

The Commission on Elections en banc on Wednesday, September 29, unanimously voted to extend the voter registration from October 11 to 30, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said.The voter registration that has been drawing thousands of applicants in Bacolod City in the past weeks was supposed to end on Thursday, September 30, but was extended amid calls from lawmakers and various groups.Guanzon said the voter registration will be until September 30 and will resume October 11, the Monday after the filing of certificates of candidacy set October 1 to 8.Voter registration in October will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, she said.There will be no registration on Saturdays except for October 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., she said.Overseas voter’s registration extensio...

The Bago City Hospital temporarily closed Wednesday, September 29, after eight of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19 and because of “no vacancy,” Dr. Jesus Rey Pacilan, BCH chief said.The number of COVID-19 hit health workers at Negros Occidental provincial government-run hospitals rose to 76 on Wednesday, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz also said.The six new COVID-19 health workers were from the Valladolid District Hospital, he said.He said the provincial government has been hiring more health workers and has adequate personnel at its hospitals.Negros Occidental had 4,115 COVID-19 active cases and 10 new deaths on Wednesday, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.The province has had 28,566 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic in March l...

Former Councilor Caesar Distrito said former Rep. Alfredo Benitez, who is running for mayor of Bacolod City, has invited him to be his runningmate.“I am seriously thinking about it. I will consult my political leaders and supporters especially in barangays Singcang-Airport and Magsungay, “ he said Wednesday, September 29.Distrito said he will pray and seek divine guidance on whether to run as vice mayor or seek a fourth term as councilor.He will seek the advice of his family, particularly his mother Councilor Simple Distrito and his brother Brgy Captain Rosinie Distrito, and his friend Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya, Distrito said.Benitez presented his programs that focus on health care for all Bacolodnons, including establishing a city hospital, solving the housing backlog, in...

PCG photoThe Philippine Coast Guard on Wednesday, September 29, ended attempts to retrieve the body of a Cadiz resident from a fishing boat that sank between Carles town in Iloilo province and Sicogon Island, and the search for the remains of his companion, Commander Jansen Benjamin, Philippine Coast Guard Western Visayas District chief of staff, said.The PCG has terminated its five-day search and retrieval operations, Benjamin said.The PCG has recommended that the owner of FB St. Peter the Fisherman II consider refloating the vessel that sank 43 meters deep in order to retrieve the body of the cook Julian Dungog intact, he said.Divers attempted twice to retrieve the body of Dungog, which was in a very advanced state of decomposition, from the vessel but the pathway was too...

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed a resolution Tuesday, September 29, commending a La Carlota City resident for bringing pride and honor to Negros Occidental by topping the September 2021 Physician Licensure Examination.Maria Inez Sellado Benedicto, 26, topped the September 2021 Physician Licensure Examination with a rating of 87.83 percent, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced Friday, September 24.“Her hard work, determination, dedication to her profession and desire to serve her fellow Negrosanons, is an inspiration to all of us and to future doctors who seek to do the same,” the resolution said.She has been a consistent honor student and achiever since her elementary days, the resolution said.Benedicto graduated as class valedictorian at PAX Catholic Coll...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is ready to vaccinate minors against COVID-19, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, September 29.President Rodrigo Roa Duterte approved the vaccination of the general population and children aged 12-17 years old against COVID-19 by October, Malacañang announced Tuesday.If minors are fully vaccinated that will give enough confidence for them to resume face-to-face classes, which is happening in other countries, Diaz said.Meanwhile, Negros Occidental residents who have been fully vaccinated are being issued identification cards that can be validated and scanned at airports, he said.In fact Philippine Airlines is already suggesting flights where fully vaccinated travelers will no longer be required RT-PCR tests, he...

The provincial health officer and 70 employees of eight Negros Occidental hospitals have tested positive for COVID-19, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, September 28.The provincial health officer, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, tested positive for COVID-19 after he was exposed to his son who was hit by the virus, Diaz said.Tumimbang’s close contacts at the PHO tested negative and the office remains open, he added.The COVID-19 vaccination drive at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City has temporarily been suspended, but the vaccine rollout in the towns and cities of Negros Occidental will continue, Diaz said.The 14 who tested positive for COVID-19 at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City were medical technicians and encoders at its CO...

PCG photoPhilippine Coast Guard divers failed to retrieve the body of one of two missing crew members of FB St. Peter the Fisherman II on Tuesday, September 28, because of zero visibility in the sunken vessel, Commander Jansen Benjamin, PCG Western Visayas District chief of staff, said.The divers attempted to retrieve the bloated body that was in an advanced state of decomposition from the vessel that sank 43 meters deep between Carles town in Iloilo province and Sicogon Island on Friday, September 24, but aside from the visibility problem, the pathway was very narrow and there was a lot of debris, Benjamin added.Missing are Manuel Auditor – third engineer and Julian Dungog – the cook from Cadiz City in Negros Occidental.The bodies of seven of the boat’s crew members have b...

Cadiz LGU photoThe Cadiz Emergency Clinic‘s birthing section was temporarily closed starting Tuesday, September 28, after its employees were exposed to a COVID-19 positive pregnant woman, Mayor Salvador Escalante said.Only emergency cases will be accepted at the clinic, he said.The pregnant woman who was about to deliver was admitted at the birthing section and she presented a negative antigen result even if she knew that she had a positive RT-PCR result for COVID-19 on Monday evening, September 27, a Cadiz City advisory said.The CHO received her RT-PCR positive result from a private molecular laboratory Tuesday afternoon, it added.Escalante said the pregnant woman who had not given birth as of Tuesday afternoon would be transferred to the Cadiz District Hospital, which...

The Negros Occidental provincial government officials running under the Love Negros-United Negros Alliance (UNegA) coalition and some congressional bets will file their certificates of candidacy (COC) on Friday, October 1, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, September 28The filing of COCs starts Friday until October 8.The filing of COCs for provincial and congressional bets will be held at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City to ensure a bigger venue for social distancing, COMELEC provincial supervisor Ma. Fatima Aspan said.Lacson said they will assign specific hours for the Love Negros-UNegA bets to file their COC’s on Friday to prevent crowding in observance of COVID-19 health protocols.The governor and Rep. Gerardo Valmayor Jr. (Neg. Occ., 1st District) will...