Carla P. Gomez

The Department of Health 6 graph that shows the rise in COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas.*COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas continue to rise at a faster rate and may still peak in mid to third week of April, Dr. Mary Jane Juanico, Department of Health 6 infectious disease unit head, said Monday, April 12.However, they have no test results yet to show that a new variant has hit the region, she said.Concern over the rising number of cases in the region prompted Iloilo officials on Sunday to suggest that stricter travel rules between Negros and Panay be imposed.However, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas Monday said stricter travel restrictions between Negros and Panay may not be implemented as both islands still remain under the same quarantine classifications.The entire Wes...

Provincial consultant Alfredo Benitez (right) arrived on his private jet with the vaccines for Negros Occidental and Bacolod City Monday, April 12.*More Sinovac vaccines for Negros Occidental and Bacolod City arrived Monday, April 12.Former Rep. Alfredo Benitez flew in 11,400 Sinovac vaccines for Negros Occidental and 3,000 for Bacolod City from the Department of Health in Manila on his private jet that landed at 4:46 p.m. at the Bacolod Silay Airport.More vaccines are coming, said Benitez, who is also Negros Occidental provincial consultant on economic affairs.Benitez said he offered to fly in the vaccines so the province and city would get them faster.He also pointed out that in the past the vaccine allocation for Negros was given to the other provinces in Western Vis...

Richard Malihan photoNine employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government have tested positive for COVID-19 this month, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said Monday, April 12.The office of the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division has temporarily been closed for disinfection after its head and three other employees tested positive for COVID-19 .Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Maryver Cordova has been named OIC of the NOSPD.Tumimbang said one nurse, two medical technicians and a member of the administrative staff of the Provincial Health Office and Board Member Manuel Ko also tested positive earlier bringing the total Capitol employees hit by COVID-19 this month to nine.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson ordered a four-day work week for Negros Occidental provincial government employees effective immediately, amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.Lacson, in a memorandum issued on Monday, April 12, said office hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and Friday will be a work from home day.Capitol-based offices will be closed on Friday, Lacson said.Heads of departments and offices will be responsible to assign work to all employees under them during the work from home schedule, the governor said.Provincial Health Office and hospital employees, and those whose services are required on a daily basis shall make work arrangements so everybody will enjoy a four-day work schedule, Lacson said.“This is to give a breather to all health work...

Capitol photoRafael Coscolluela, the newly appointed provincial consultant, said he will work on ways to advance a “green economy” for Negros Occidental.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has appointed the former governor of the province as consultant for energy and environment affairs.Coscolluela said he will meet with renewable energy stakeholders to discuss the current status, constraints, issues and ways to enable faster transition to renewable energy utilization.He will also meet with power distributors to determine ways to ensure reliable, affordable and sustainable electric power for consumers in Negros, Coscolluela said.Also on his agenda is a review of current environmental concerns and initiatives to advance a “green economy”, he said.The aim is to connect all of th...

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will remain under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) until April 30, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque announced Sunday, April 11.Roque, who announced the new quarantine classifications around the country, told DIGICAST NEGROS the request of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson to place Negros Occidental under the stricter General Community Quarantine (GCQ) was received by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) late.He does not know if the IATF would still deliberate on Negros Occidental’s request, Roque said.Negros Occidental has been under MGCQ, but Lacson on Friday had asked that it be reclassified to GCQ following a surge in COVID-19 cases in the province.Lacson said he is hoping the IA...

Bacolod DRRMO photoThe national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has extended the travel moratorium from the National Capital Region Plus, Cebu and Davao to Western Visayas from April 13 to 19 because of the alarming surge of COVID-19 cases, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Sunday, April 11.The IAFT earlier granted a similar moratorium from April 4 to 10.Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas, on behalf of the officials of Western Visayas requested that the moratorium on all incoming flights, sea voyages and land travel from Metro Manila, Rizal, Bulacan and Cavite collectively called the“NCR Plus bubble”, Cebu and Davao transporting returning residents and Authorized Persons Outside Residence be suspended for seven more days from April 11 to ...

Travel between Negros and Panay may be limited to Authorized Persons Outside Residence and essential travel, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said Sunday, April 11.Leonardia said he was informed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas that he and Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. are proposing the move for the protection of Western Visayas residents with the surge in COVID-19 cases.Treñas suggested that it be a collective decision of the leaders of Western Visayas, Leonardia said.“We will wait for everybody but Bacolod has already made its stand that we are in favor of that,” Leonardia said.Treñas said he has discussed the proposal with Leonardia and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and they agreed to it.A new COVID-19 variant is suspected to be causing the rapid spread...

The surge in COVID-19 cases has caused the temporary lockdown of more seats of government and health facilities in Negros Occidental.Mayor Neil Lizares said the new Talisay City Hall will be closed on Monday and Tuesday while contact tracing and disinfection are underway.An employee assigned at the Talisay City Public Market tested positive for COVID-19 and contact tracing showed that the person had gone to the Talisay City Hall, he said.Mayor Rogelio Raymund Tongson, who tested positive for COVID-19, ordered the lockdown of the Himamaylan City Hall, City Health Office and Barangay Health Centers for seven days starting Saturday to prevent the spread of COVID-19.Mayor Rhumyla Nicor Mangilimutan said the La Castellana municipal hall will be closed from Monday to Wednesday fo...

Bacolod DRRM photoThere were 364 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who arrived at the Bacolod Silay Airport on three flights Sunday, April 11, and more are expected this week.They were swabbed for COVID-19 tests on arrival and allowed to go on home quarantine under local government unit supervision, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz and Bacolod Councilor Israel Salanga said.OFWs are not included in the moratorium on travel to Western Visayas and local governments cannot subject them to facility quarantine unless they test positive for COVID-19.Diaz said 228 Negrense OFWs arrived Sunday.Salanga said 136 OFWs arrived in Bacolod City Sunday and they were informed that more will be arriving until Wednesday.*