Carla P. Gomez

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Friday, August 13, that even if two Delta variant cases have been detected in Bacolod City the COVID-19 situation is still manageable.The swabs of the two Delta cases were taken on July 15 and 19 that is nearing one month, but since July 15 the number of COVID-19 cases in Bacolod have been going down, he pointed out.Negros Occidental’s COVID-19 cases have also been on the decline, he said.No Delta variants have been detected in Negros Occidental so far, Lacson said.Lacson said he was informed this week that 30 samples from Negros Occidental have been sent to the Philippine Genome Center for genome sequencing and the results are being awaited.He reiterated the need for everyone to continue to practice basic health protocols...

President Rodrigo Duterte approved the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to maintain the current quarantine status of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental from August 16 to 31, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said Friday, August 13.Bacolod City will remain under General Community Quarantine with Heightened Restrictions and Negros Occidental under GCQ.Mayor Evelio Leonardia pointed out that despite the detection of two Delta variant cases in Bacolod, the COVID-19 cases in the city have been on the decline.The GCQ-HR will prevent large mass gatherings that will help curb the spread of COVID-19 variants in the city, he said.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said there is no need for him to issue a new executive order since in his previous EO he placed Negros Occiden...

City PIO photoThere were 428 market vendors vaccinated against COVID-19 on Friday, August 13, the first day of Bacolod City’s mobile vaccination drive dubbed ‘VAX-i’, City Administrator and Emergency Operations Center executive director Em Ang said.There were 124 market vendors vaccinated at the Libertad Public Market, 190 at the Central Market and 114 at the Burgos Public Market, she said.VAX-I aims to help vendors and public transport drivers, who are unable to leave their work for a day to go to the vaccination centers, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.Dr. Chris Sorongon, EOC deputy for medical data and analysis, said they have been aggressive in introducing innovative ways to step up the vaccination drive in Bacolod City.On top of the mall and barangay vaccinati...

The Commission on Elections in Bacolod City has cancelled its satellite registration for Friday and Saturday, August 13 and 14, after one of its employees manifested COVID-19 symptoms, Elections Officer Kathrina Trinio Caña said.Cancelled was the exclusive satellite registration for the youth at the Mansilingan Agro Industrial High School on Friday and for the general public at SM City on Saturday, she said.The Bacolod Comelec office is also closed as all of its 16 employees have gone on self-isolation pending the COVID-19 test results of their co-worker who was set to be swabbed Friday afternoon, Caña said.The employee, who has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, was manifesting COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever, coughing, body pains and vomiting, she added.All of the B...

The Negros Occidental provincial government rolled out 113 vials of Moderna vaccines equivalent to 1,582 doses to ten local governments in Negros Occidental on Friday, August 13, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.Each Moderna vial contains from 14 to 15 doses, Diaz said.The number of vials delivered to Escalante City were 13, Cadiz City – 13, Manapla - 3, Moises Padilla - 10, San Enrique – 9, Binalbagan – 9, Victorias City – 12, Silay City - 29, Ilog - 9, and Hinoba-an – 6, he said.On Thursday, Sagay City received 34 vials and La Carlota City – 29, Diaz added.The priority recipients of the Moderna vaccines are senior citizens, he reiterated.However, if there are not enough senior citizens in line those in the substitution lists can be vaccinated with the...

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said Thursday, August 12, that the Philippines needs to reach COVID-19 herd immunity by the end of the year to ensure that the voice of the majority will be heard in the May 2022 polls.During a Pulse Asia survey in June Filipinos were asked if they would go out and vote if the COVID-19 situation in their area was high and the result was quite alarming since the election of national and local leaders should reflect the voice of the majority, said Zubiri, in a press conference with the Bacolod media via Zoom.He said 46 percent of the respondents said they would not vote, 19 percent were undecided and only 35 percent said they would vote.That is a large percentage who will not vote and they cannot be blamed because their lives are important, Zubiri said....

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said he is filing a resolution in the Senate for an investigation into the increase in the price of fertilizer that is hurting farmers, especially in the sugar industry.They may also seek the Department of Trade and Industry’s imposition of a possible price ceiling on fertilizer, he said in a press conference via Zoom on Thursday, August 12.The price of fertilizer, especially urea, has increased from P900 to P1,500, he said.If possible the DTI should have a suggested retail price for urea, Zubiri said.Unscrupulous traders know that fertilizer is in demand that is why they have hiked the prices by almost double, he said, adding that the farmers are suffering and he will not stand for that.The sugar block in the Senate will continuously monitor ...

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said Thursday, August 12, that his priority is to ensure the completion of the Bacolod City General Hospital and Bacolod City Museum and Amphitheater that have been allocated additional funds.Zubiri, in a press conference via Zoom, said he has allocated an additional P200 million to ensure the start of the Bacolod City General Hospital construction soon.The P200 million will be on top of the P600 million stipulated in the law on the hospital’s creation, he said.The law was created based on bills authored by Zubiri in the Senate and by Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya in the House of Representatives.Zubiri said P160 million has also been allocated for the Bacolod City Museum and Amphitheater in the 2020 General Appropriations Act and an additional P50 mi...

Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri refused to take sides in the 2022 Bacolod mayoral race, and also said he will announce whom he will support for president after the filing of certificates of candidacy in October.Zubiri, in a press conference via Zoom Thursday, August 12, said Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez who are expected to run for mayor of Bacolod in 2022 are both capable leaders and his friends, so may the best man win.“I love them both, they are both capable leaders,” he said.The senator, who is running for reelection in the May 2022 polls, said he will be waiting for the filing of certificates of candidacy in October before announcing whom he will support for president.Zubiri said he has no political party so he is hoping that...

Ronnie Baldonado photoNegros Occidental and Bacolod City will enforce the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) order requiring fully vaccinated close contacts of probable or confirmed COVID-19 cases to be quarantined for 14 days instead of seven.The IATF-EID suspended the shortened quarantine period for fully vaccinated close contacts amid the threat of the COVID-19 Delta variant.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Thursday, August 12, that Negros Occidental will implement the IATF order.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said they cannot treat fully vaccinate individuals differently.Vaccines do not give 100 percent protection from COVID-19 but they will ensure that one is not severely affected by the virus, and will not b...