Carla P. Gomez

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Rep. Francisco Benitez (3rd and 4th from left) with mayors Neil Lizares of Talisay City, Francis Palanca of Victorias City and Marvin Malacon of EB Magalona town (l-r) at the coordination meeting today.*CPG photoThree national government agencies are joining forces with officials of the third district of Negros Occidental in the battle to mitigate flooding, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), said today, January 7.A Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) amphibious excavator will begin dredging of silted waterways in Victorias City tomorrow, January 7, and a provincial government dredger will start work in Talisay City on Saturday, January 9, he said.The DPWH has allocated P400 million for the creation of new ...

Members of the House of Representatives are in the midst of discussion on the call by two senators to convene Congress as a constituent assembly (Con-ass), Rep. Francisco Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) said today, January 7.Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa filed Senate Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 calling for the convening Congress as a constituent assembly (Con-ass) to introduce “limited amendments” to the 1987 Constitution.Benitez said he has no idea if it will push through, he is waiting to see what the committee tackling the resolution has to say.He is also waiting to see what the specific proposed amendments to the Constitution are, Benitez said.Some say it is not the proper time to do it amid the COVID-19 crisis in the last year of ...

There are seven towns and one city in Negros Occidental that are now COVID-19 free.They are Calatrava, Candoni, Salvador Benedicto, EB Magalona, Isabela, Pulupandan, San Enrique, and La Carlota City, a Provincial Incident Management Team report Wednesday, January 6, showed.Negros Occidental has 104 active COVID-19 cases with San Carlos City still topping the list with 27, the PIMT said.Other LGUs with COVID-19 cases are Silay City with 12, Cadiz City – 10, Toboso – 8, Kabankalan City 6, La Castellana and Murcia – 4 each, Sipalay City, Manapla, Moises Padilla and Hinigaran – 3 each, Bago City, Binalbagan, Cauayan, Escalante City, Pontevedra, Sagay City, Talisay City , Valladolid and Victorias City - 2 each, and Himamaylan City, Hinoba-an and Ilog – 1 each.Meanwhile, the Depa...

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed today, January 6, that he is signing a multilateral agreement Friday, January 8, for the advance purchase of COVID-19 vaccines for Negros Occidental.The agreement he is signing with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Philippines Inc., the national government and the Department of Health is for the purchase of 100,000 doses of its AZD1222 vaccines for 50,000 persons, Lacson said.Each dose will cost P275, he said, for a total of P27.5 million.The priority recipients of the vaccines will be the COVID-19 frontliners in Negros Occidental, he said.Lacson, however, does not know yet when the vaccines will arrive.The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod in a special session today, January 6, also granted Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia authority to...

Dr. Emilia Monicimpo*PIA photoThe Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health and Development has a new regional directorDr. Emilia Monicimpo will take over the post effective tomorrow, January 7.She will replace Dr. Marlyn Convocar who is retiring.Meanwhile, the DOH in Western Visayas reported 10 new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental and eight in Bacolod City today, January 6.The DOH said there are 301 active COVID -19 cases in Negros Occidental and 68 in Bacolod City.COVID-19 has hit 6,427 people in Negros Occidental and killed 162, while Bacolod City has had 5,615 cases and 178 deaths, the DOH added.COVID-19 cases in Western Visayas as of today were 21,783 with 662 deaths, the DOH said.Iloilo City has had 4,694 COVID-19 cases, Iloilo province...

Talisay PIO photoTalisay City is now under a state of calamity.Mayor Neil Lizares said the Talisay Sangguniang Panlungsod today, January 6, approved his recommendation to declare a state of calamity for a maximum of 15 days to enable the city government to effectively manage its rehabilitation campaign following the damage caused by the floods that affected 4,661 families.The flooding hit barangays Bubog, Dos Hermanas, and Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 4A, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 12A, 14, 14A, 14B, and 16 leaving properties and livelihoods in ruins, the mayor said.Lizares said 21 houses were also destroyed and 244 were damaged.The wall of the Inocencio V. Ferrer School of Fisheries and the riprap in Barangay Zone 3 collapsed, and the riprap of the Bangga 12 bridge in Barangay Zone 16 was...

The damage caused by flashfloods that recently hit northern Negros Occidental has hit P17 million and affected 3,070 farmers, Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said today, January 6.The flashfloods caused by heavy rains occurred from December 26 to January 1, he said.Damage to rice crops in Sagay, Cadiz, Victorias, Silay and Talisay cities, and EB Magalona town covering 669.75 hectares was P11,556,198.80, Masculino said.He said damage to high-value crops in Silay and Victorias cities covering 8.42 hectares was P2,647,200.Damage to fisheries in Talisay and Silay cities and EB Magalona was P4,610,690, he added.*

Board Member Andrew Montelibano (left) and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said the UNegA-Love Negros coalition at the provincial level will hold in 2022.*CPG photoIt will be a Lacson-Ferrer tandem in 2022.This was confirmed by Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer today, January 5, who said the United Negros Alliance (UNegA) and Love Negros coalition between him and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson will remain in the 2022 polls.Ferrer, UNegA president, said his party will not field a candidate against the governor amid talk that a former Bacolod official plans to run for the top post of the province in 2022.That person is welcome to run for office, but any candidate against the governor will definitely not come from UNegA or Love Negros, Ferrer stressed.Ferrer said he will run for vic...

Flash floods that recently hit northern Negros Occidental caused P16.5 million in damage to fisheries and crops, Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said today, January 5.The flash floods triggered by heavy rains from December 26 to January 1 caused damage in six cities and one town, he said.Damage to rice in Sagay City was placed at P52,575, Cadiz City – P302,381, Victorias City – P5,219,910, EB Magalona - P4,284,000 and Silay City – P1,695, 832.In Silay City, damage to high-value crops was placed at P840,600 and shallow water fish corrals (tangkop) – P20,000.Damage to bangus fishponds in EB Magalona was P4,120,790.Meanwhile, Mayor Neil Lizares said the Talisay government continued rationing food packs to the 4,661 flood-affected families in 17 of his city’s bara...

Rep. Francisco Benitez and Mayor Francis Palanca (right) look at a map of Victorias City's waterways.*A Department of Public Works and Highways team and a dredger are expected to arrive in the third district on Negros Occidental Thursday, January 7, to help clear waterways and mitigate flooding in the area, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg Occ., 3rd District) said today, January 5.Benitez is also set to meet with the DPWH team Thursday to discuss the flooding problem in his district.Floods hit Talisay, Silay and Victorias cities, and EB Magalona town on January 1 affecting thousands of residents, and destroying and damaging hundreds of houses.“We have requested for dredging from the DPWH since last year,” Benitez said.“The rivers and the deltas have already been ident...