Carla P. Gomez

The Central Negros Electric Cooperative main office and the Bacolod City Public Information Office have been closed for disinfection after some members of their staff tested positive for COVID-19.Danny Pondevilla, CENECO acting general manager, said five employees at the CENECO main office at Mabini Street tested positive for COVID-19.“As part of the management’s commitment to ensure the safety of the employees and the member-consumer-owners, CENECO Bacolod main office will be temporarily closed for disinfection starting April 19 (Monday) to April 20 (Tuesday),” a public advisory from the coop said.However, CENECO’s emergency services and helpline units will be available 24/7 to accommodate power-related concerns, it added.The Bacolod Public Information Office located at th...

Capitol photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, April 19, that he is opting for a Sinovac jab.Lacson was among the local chief executives (LCEs) in critical and high risk areas granted permission under National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center Advisory No. 26 to be vaccinated against COVID-19 ahead of their colleagues.However, Lacson, 61, is opting to be vaccinated along with the province’s senior citizens who belong to Group A2 on the government’s vaccination priority list.Lacson said he will wait for Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, to inform him when he can be vaccinated with the senior citizens.He is opting for a Sinovac jab since there are not enough AstraZeneca vaccines available, Lacson said.Ayala Corporation chairma...

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia received his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine Saturday, April 17.*Bacolod PIO photoThe mayors of Bacolod City and Cadiz City have been vaccinated against COVID-19.National COVID-19 Vaccination Operations Center Advisory No. 26 granted local chief executives (LCEs) in critical and high risk areas permission to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Western Visayas said Sunday, April 18.Among those qualified for vaccination are Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and mayors Evelio Leonardia of Bacolod City, Salvador Escalante - Cadiz City, Victor Gerardo Rojas - Murcia, Neil Lizares - Talisay City, Nicholas Yulo - Bago City, Maria Gina Montilla Liz...

Items recovered by the Army from the slain rebels.*303rd IB photoTwo alleged New People's Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an encounter with government forces at Purok Yuring, Sitio Dash 7, Brgy Bulwangan in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, Saturday, April 17, Maj. Cenon Pancito, Philippine 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, said Sunday, April 18.The two were killed in a 40-minute firefight between the Army's 15th Infantry Battalion and Platoon 3 of the KR-NCBS (Kilusang Rehiyon - Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor) Southwest Front, Pancito said.The two fatalities identified as alias Micheal/ Nonoy, and alias Ken-ken, were brought to Porras Funeral Homes in Hinoba-an, he said.“The relentless efforts of the soldiers forced the enemies to scamper in different directions, leaving their...

The Negros Occidental COVID-19 cases continued to rise by triple digits during the weekend, the Department of Health reported.Negros Occidental had 131 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, April 17, and 133 on Sunday, April 18, the DOH report said.The province had a total of 2,181 COVID-19 active cases on Sunday, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) also reported.San Carlos City still had the highest number of active cases at 274 and Salvador Benedicto remains COVID-free with no active cases, the PIMPT reported.The other areas with triple-digit active cases are Himamaylan City – 185, Kabankalan City -174, Cauayan – 133, Murcia – 123, Bago City -122, Binalbagan -120 and Cadiz City – 117.There are also active COVID-19 cases in Ilog - 91, La Carlota City - 90, Pulupan...

More Bacolod City government employees have tested positive for COVID-19.Among the latest to test positive are four employees at the City Mayor’s Office, City Administrator Em Ang said Saturday, April 17.Earlier, Ang said 51 city government employees also tested positive earlier.Bacolod City had 44 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, April 17, and 25 on Sunday, April 18, the Department of Health reported.On Sunday, Bacolod City had a total of 668 active COVID-19 cases and 197 deaths, the DOH report on Sunday showed.*

The temporary suspension of activities in Salvador Benedicto town has been extended to April 25 as a precaution against COVID-19, Mayor Marxlen dela Cruz said.The town currently has no active COVID-19 cases.Suspended activities are seminars, trainings, rides, swimming, camping, hiking and excursions, he said.Mayor Melecio Yap has also issued an executive order restricting the admission of non-resident tourists and guests in beaches, resorts, floating cottages and other destinations in Escalante City starting Saturday, April 17, until further notice.Mayor Pedro Zayco has ordered the closure of resorts in Kabankalan City on Saturdays and Sundays.Hotels, pension houses and inns will be allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity, he added.*

The Murcia municipal government budget officer who died Thursday tested positive for COVID-19, Mayor Gerry Rojas said Friday, April 16.Rojas and 56 other government workers in Murcia have also been hit by the virus, and are in quarantine.Murcia currently has 123 COVID-19 active cases.The budget officer had gone on quarantine when she was identified as a close contact, after her colleagues tested positive for the virus.She died in her home on Thursday morning, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.She was 44 years old.The budget officer was tested for COVID-19 on her death and the results turned out positive. Ten of 14 members of her household also tested positive, Rojas said.Rojas said since April 6 he, the budget officer and 56 governme...

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is hoping the COVID-19 active cases in Negros Occidental will begin to drop next week with many graduating from their 14-day quarantines.However, there were 148 new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental Friday, April 16, bringing the total number of active cases in the province to 2,035, the Department of Health reported.Bacolod City also had 59 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 618 active cases, and two additional deaths, the DOH added.Lacson said starting Friday Negrenses with COVID-19 cases were expected to graduate from quarantine.“For as long as the number of new cases do not match those that are graduating we hope to see the numbers going down next week,” he said.Lacson called on local government officials to exert more efforts to preven...

Silay Mayor Mark Golez denied Friday, April 16, that he is engaged in quarry operations in Silay City or in any other place.The New People’s Army (NPA) Roselyn Jean Pelle Command (RJPC) in Northern Negros, in a statement Friday, said it burned heavy equipment operated by Golez in Hacienda Vista Alegre, Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City in Negros Occidental in response to the people’s clamor to punish large-scale quarry operations, which recently caused massive flooding in the area.The sanction was carried out by the RJPC at about 10 p.m. Monday, April 12, and paralyzed three backhoes at the Malogo river quarry site, the group’s spokesperson Cecil Estrella said.The NPA also warned that sanctions will also be meted on other entities who ravage the environment and cause harm to the pe...