Carla P. Gomez

Bacolod DRRM photoTwo persons were injured when a cement wall fell on houses in Barangay Alijis, while 248 families in seven flood-hit barangays of Bacolod City evacuated Saturday night, June 5, as heavy rains poured.A father and son were injured when the cement wall of an orphanage fell and destroyed two houses in Purok Pag-asa, Barangay Alijis, Barangay Captain Deogracias dela Vega said Sunday, June 6.Those injured were rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, while 12 families with 50 members, whose houses are near a river, were rescued, he said.Dela Vega said he will have the houses near the river demolished because residents living in the area had already been given relocation sites at Barangay Felisa a long time ago but have refused to tra...

A longer curfew and a total liquor ban for two weeks are among the measures being considered to curb the current surge in COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.Bacolod City officials led by Leonardia held a virtual meeting with the business community Friday, June 4, that was also attended by Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases doctors who called for a two week-business slowdown.The doctors are asking for a two-week business slowdown because the lifespan of the virus on those infected is two weeks, Leonardia said.Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, said a slowdown is tantamount to a lockdown that the business community cannot afford anymore. People will go hungry, he said.The city...

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said 10,000 more doses of Sinovac vaccines for Bacolod City are arriving Saturday, June 5.Leonarda said he is thankful to Department of Health-6 Regional Director Emilia Monicimpo for her quick response to their appeal during an emergency meeting Thursday.The DOH-6 on Monday classified Bacolod City as a high risk area for COVID-19.“We appealed and argued that due to the rising cases in Bacolod, the need to accelerate vaccination must also catch up,” Leonardia said.“These additional 10,000 doses is a big boost to advance our march towards the full vaccination of our people,” he said.The additional vaccines is the immediate response of the DOH-6 to our mitigating measures amid the surge in COVID-19 cases in Bacolod, Dr. Chris Sorongon, City ...

The Bacolod police have apprehended 19,408 COVID-19 health protocol violators, while cases will be filed against persons who test positive and refuse to be taken to quarantine facilities.Executive Assistant Ernesto Pineda, head of the Extraction Cluster of the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF), said Friday, June 4, that a 24-year-old female resident of Barangay Cabug who tested positive for COVID-19 and two close contacts refused to be taken to a quarantine facility.He said they are filing police blotters against those who refuse to be extracted for proper legal action by the City Legal Office.Non-cooperation on extraction is in violation of Section 9 of the Republic Act 11332, otherwise known as the "Law on Reporting of Communicable Diseases”, he sai...

Radyo Alagad photoFlooding brought on by Tropical Storm “Dante” caused P5.5 million in damage to crops, farm animals and infrastructure in three cities and five towns in Negros Occidental.Damage to rice crops in Hinoba-an was P2,321,240, Moises Padilla – P888,704, Cadiz City – P881,491, Pontevedra – P257, 535, and Victorias City – P113,775, Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said Friday, June 4.Masculino said hit were rice crops on 176.88 hectares affecting 143 farmers.Damage to infrastructure in Hinoba-an was placed at P518,500.Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said initial farm animal loss was at P564, 868.Areas hit were EB Magalona – P7,541, La Carlota City – P53,200, San Enrique – P10,420, Binalbagan – P140,750 and Hinoba-an – P352,956, he said.*...

The House of Representatives has approved a bill banning single-use plastics on second reading, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) said Friday, June 4.House Bill 9147 regulates production, importation, sale and the use of single-use plastics and shifts the responsibility on producers to recover plastic waste to prevent leakage to bodies of water and harm to the environment, Benitez said.Benitez chaired the technical working group that consolidated 42 bills and resolutions into House Bill 9147.“It's been challenging work as TWG chair to balance the interests of the industry, consumers and the environment. In the end, the health of the planet has to prevail," he said.Benitez thanked House Speaker Lord Alan Velasco, Environment Committee Chairperso...

The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital is increasing its COVID-19 beds with occupancy in some Bacolod hospitals having reached full capacity.The CLMMRH forecast based on available data is that there will be a continued rise in COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental for the next two weeks, Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH chief, said Thursday, June 3.The forecast is that from June 1-14 there will be 90 to 100 new COVID-19 cases a day in Bacolod City, and 120-150 in Negros Occidental, he said.Western Visayas registered its highest number of new COVID-19 cases in a single day Thursday at 654 with 13 deaths, the Department of Health (DOH) said.Bacolod City had 142 new cases for a total of 1,257 active cases and three new deaths, the DOH said.Negros...

Moises Padilla LGU file photoMoises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo has tested positive for COVID-19 along with her husband and daughter.The Philippine Red Cross informed them early Thursday, June 3, of their Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test results, she said.Yulo said her office is temporarily closed until further notice as all her staff are currently in isolation and will undergo RT-PCR testing to protect the public’s health.The Registrar’s Office has also been closed because she went there on Monday, Yulo said.“We will resume operations once our local health officer has given us clearance to do so,” she added.Garcia said she and her husband had slight fevers on Tuesday and immediately underwent antigen tests with their 21-yea...

Non-essential travel from Negros Occidental and other neighboring areas to Iloilo province will not be allowed starting Friday, June 4, until June 18.Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor issued Executive Order 175 Series of 2021 imposing restrictions on non-essential travel within and into the province of Iloilo to curb the spread of COVID-19.Iloilo City province is currently experiencing a COVID-19 surge with 7,757 COVID-19 cases, of which 1,402 are active, Defensor said in his EO.Only Authorized Persons Outside Residence, Overseas Filipino Workers and residents of Iloilo will be allowed into the province, Defensor said.*