Carla P. Gomez

Ambulances bringing non-COVID patients to the TLJPH.*Contributed photoThe Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City has adequate oxygen supply and is coping with the huge influx of non COVID-19 patients, Dr. Maryann Maestral, TLJPH chief, said Wednesday, September 22.She said the provincial government has an oxygen plant next to the TLJPH and had anticipated the needs of its hospitals.They are reaping the benefits of projecting their oxygen needs, she said.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz are constantly checking on the hospital needs in the province to ensure that they are prepared, she said.She said the bulk of the non COVID-19 patients are brought to the TLJPH and the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan Ci...

Talisay PIO photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and other Negros Occidental officials will be swabbed for COVID-19 tests Thursday, September 23, five days after they were exposed to two mayors who tested positive for the virus.They were exposed to Kabankalan City Mayor Pedro Zayco and Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares who joined them at a Love Negros meeting at Nature's Village Resort in Talisay on Saturday, September 18.Zayco and Lizares tested positive for COVID-19 after the Saturday meeting although it is believed that they picked up the virus elsewhere.Thirty-three officials, including Zayco and Lizares, joined the Love Negos political gathering.Lacson. Benitez and the other officials went on self-isolation starting Sunday while waiting...

Capitol file photoThe Valeriano M. Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital in Himamaylan City opened as the third COVID-19 center in Negros Occidental Tuesday night, September 21, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The Himamaylan hospital opened with an initial 50 COVID beds and may expand to 75, Diaz said.Work was fast-tracked to enable the hospital to accommodate COVID patients as soon as possible, he said.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Friday, September 17, issued an order establishing the Valeriano Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital as “a COVID Center effective immediately and until the COVID-19 threat is eliminated”.COVID-19 positive Negrenses who are considered moderate cases will be referred to the Himamaylan hospital for treatment, he said.The Valladoli...

The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved a P82.3 million supplemental budget during its regular session Wednesday, September 22, Councilor Renecito Novero said.He said the amount will be taken from the P60 million underestimated income for 2020, salary savings of P4.8 million, and maintenance and operating expenses savings of P17.4 million.Bacolod Mayor Evellio Leonardia in his request for the passage of the appropriation ordinance said the P82.3 million will be used for personal services – P5, 000, maintenance and other operating expenses – P63.6 million and special purpose appropriations – P18. 7 million.*

Mayor Neil Lizares, a councilor and 15 other Talisay City government employees have tested positive for COVID-19.Councilor Ma. Isabel Lizares tested positive for COVID-19 and other members of the city council will be swabbed for RT-PCR tests, the mayor said.The mayor said it is possible that he was infected with the virus at a department meeting.Lizares has ordered that the Talisay City Hall be manned by a skeleton workforce on Wednesday and Thursday, September 22 and 23, and locked down on Friday for disinfection to ensure the safety of the public and government employees.Lizares said he currently remains asymptomatic.“I would like to assure everyone that I am taking every step possible to ensure that I stay in good health and will recover successfully from this virus,...

Bacolod City is still waiting for the go green light from the Department of Health to vaccinate minors aged 12 to 17 years old, City Administrator Em Ang, Emergency Operations Center executive director, said Tuesday, September 21.However, the city government has began masterlisting the minors in preparation for when the DOH says they can start inoculating them, she said.Ang also said that a 68 year old female from Barangay Handumanan who was the latest hit by the Delta variant was retested and found negative for COVID-19.Her ten close contacts also tested negative and the lockdown on her home was lifted.*

Javi Benitez with his mother, Dominique Lopez Benitez (left), and girlfriend Sue Ramirez, at the press conference in Victorias City, Tuesday, September 21.*"The time is now."That is the battle cry of Javier “Javi” Lopez Benitez, 26, who officially announced that he is running for mayor of Victorias City in 2022 at a press conference Tuesday, September 21.Benitez, who is the son of former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and the nephew of Rep. Francisco Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District), pledged that should he be elected mayor his administration will be clean, efficient, and inclusive.“These three words encapsulate how we feel the government should be,” he said.Benitez also promised a government that will ensure accountability and transparency, and openness and inno...

Task Force Disiplina photoThere is an increase in people registering to vote in Bacolod City now because they see that there is hope and change is coming, former Rep. Alfredo Benitez said Tuesday, September 21.Benitez is running for mayor of Bacolod against incumbent Evelio Leonardia in the 2022 polls.Leonardia on Sunday said he was alarmed over the unusual influx of transferee-registrants from out-of-town and called on Provincial Election Supervisor Ma. Fatima Aspan to inhibit herself from being acting Bacolod election officer to preserve the integrity of the voter registration process.Comelec 6 Regional Director Wilfred Jay Balisado designated Sipalay City Election Officer Adrian Arellano acting Bacolod election officer effective Tuesday, September 21.Arelano will rem...

The COVID-19 active cases in Negros Occidental on Tuesday, September 21, breached the 3,000 mark.Negros Occidental had 3,004 active COVID-19 cases, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) reported.The province also had 161 COVID-19 deaths from September 1 to 20, for a total of 758 since the start of the pandemic last year, PIMT data showed.A total of 223,851 Negrenses have been fully vaccinated or 12.26 percent of the targeted population as of September 17, Zeaphard Caelian, PIMT head, said.Negrenses due for their second dose are 80,096 or 4.39 percent, he added.*