Carla P. Gomez

Bacolod DRRM photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government is eyeing raps for falsification of public documents against five returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs), while blood samples will be extracted from a Pontevedra couple tomorrow, January 22, to determine if they have been infected with the United Kingdom COVID-19 variant.The couple and their son, who arrived in the Philippines on December 30 from London, via Istanbul, are facility quarantined in Pontevedra, Mayor Jose Maria Alonso said.The couple tested negative for the virus in Manila on December 31.However, on their arrival in Negros Occidental on January 16 they were swabbed again and the test results released on January 18 showed that they were positive for COVID-19, the mayor added.The couple, who are asymp...

Bacolod DRRM photoThree persons in Bacolod City, who were on the Emirates flight from Dubai that arrived in Manila on January 7 with the first Filipino found positive for the United Kingdom COVID-19 variant, have tested negative for the virus.The results were released today, January 21, Dr. Chris Sorongon, Bacolod Emergency Operations Center medical deputy for data analysis and assessment, said.All three had also tested negative for COVID-19 in Manila on January 8 but were retested in Bacolod on Wednesday, January 20, Sorongon said.As soon as they finish their 14-day home quarantines along with their families, the sealing off of their houses will be lifted by their respective barangay officials after they are cleared by cluster doctors, he said.Two of them are in Barang...

The provincial government is preparing cold storage facilities for the COVID-19 vaccines that are expected to arrive in Negros Occidental by the second quarter or early third quarter of this year, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said today, January 21.“We are buying additional equipment that can store vaccines up to negative 70 degrees,” Lacson said.The storage facilities will be placed in vaccination centers to be set up in strategic areas in the province, he said.The Negros Occidental provincial government has signed an advance purchase agreement for 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines for 50,000 people. The priority of the provincial government will be COVID-19 frontliners, he saidSecretary Carlito Galvez has assured that the national government will also provide free COVID-1...

Some drivers and conductors of Ceres Liner buses staged a picket in Victorias City this morning, January 21, against management’s reduction of their trip allowances by half.Vallacar Transit Inc. that operates the Ceres Liner buses, gave the trip allowance as an added incentive to the drivers and conductors, it is not part of salaries or their Collective Bargaining Agreement, Jade Seballos, VTI media relations officer, said.VTI President Leo Rey Yanson had given the tripping allowance out of his own generosity, she said.However, management has had to adopt cost-cutting measures since the bus firm has been operating at reduced passenger capacity in compliance with the COVID-19 social distancing rule, which has put a huge financial strain on its operations, she said.She also s...

Capitol photoTourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat ended her three-day visit to Negros Occidental today, January 21, saying her department hopes to help bring about the timely recovery of tourism and related industries in the province, while keeping everyone safe and healthy.The Department of Tourism through its Tourism Promotions Board will fund projects for the Negros Occidental similar to the Visitors Information and Tourist Assistance app it provided to Baguio City and subsidize RT-PCR testing of tourism workers, she said.They will also promote Negros Occidental on the Travel Philippines app, which the DOT regularly updates with the latest travel advisories and guidelines in destinations that have reopened, she said.“We will also offer funding for the re-branding of...

Capitol photoNegros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson stressed the need for police visibility in all towns and cities of Negros Occidental in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.“The presence of policemen in the community creates trust and connection to our people, especially in this time when our people need more reassurance,” Lacson said, in his speech during the New Year courtesy call of the Negros Occidental police officials at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City today, January 21.Col. Romy Palgue, Negros Occidental police director, was joined by the chiefs of police of the towns and cities of Negros Occidental during the New Year’s call.Lacson said that while it is true that Negros Occidental is considerably peaceful compared to most provinces, ...

Bacolod DRRMO file photoGovernor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the provincial government is determining if a couple from London who arrived in Negros Occidental on January 16 and tested positive for COVID–19 have the highly contagious United Kingdom variant.The Bacolod City government is also waiting for the COVID-19 test results of three persons who were on the Emirates flight from Dubai that arrived in Manila on January 7 with the first Filipino found positive for the UK variant on board, City Administrator Em Ang said.Meanwhile, Lacson said the couple who came from London arrived in the Philippines on December 30 and in Negros Occidental on January 16, and are now under home quarantine in Pontevedra town.The couple and their son attempted to board an Air Asia flight on Januar...

City PIO photoThe Bacolod City government has started preparations for its mass vaccination drive versus COVID-19 that could begin as early as next month, City Administrator Em Ang said today, January 20.The Bacolod CoVac (COVID-19 Vaccination) Council held a meeting with the city’s barangay captains at the Bacolod Government Center Tuesday, January 19, to discuss preparations for 22 vaccination centers.Ang said Bacolod is expected to get a share of the national government purchased Sinovac vaccines, and the Pfizer vaccines from the World Health Organization that could arrive as early as next month.The 650,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines purchased by Bacolod City are expected to arrive in the third quarter of this year, Ang said.The 650,000 doses will cover 325,000 Ba...

OCD-6 photoThere is no illegal logging in northern Negros Occidental, but there have been some reports of kaingin operations, Edgardo Rostata, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, said today, January 20.Board Member Andrew Montelibano said he had received reports of illegal logging near the first district of Negros Occidental, which he said is subject to verification.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he has not heard of illegal logging in the first district but if Montelibano has any information he can always come forward and give a report.Rostata said what the PENRO has monitored are small scale kaingin operations in Salvador Benedicto.Kaingin is the technique of clearing land by slashing and burning underbrush and trees.There has als...

Capitol photoNegros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has instructed provincial tourism officer Jennylind Cordero to again start accepting names of displaced tourism workers who can avail of the P5,000 cash assistance being offered by the Department of Tourism.Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on Tuesday, January 19, asked local government officials to spread the word that a P3 billion fund is available for the purpose, and so far only 20 percent of it has been availed of, Lacson said.Puyat said the December 2020 deadline for application for the cash assistance has been extended to June this year.So far P50.9 million has been distributed throughout Western Visayas, and P8.7 million in Negros Occidental to 1,754 beneficiaries, Romulo-Puyat said. She hopes more ...