Carla P. Gomez

The House Committee on Transportation approved House Bill 8034 establishing a Land Transportation Office in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, Wednesday, December 2.The bill authored by Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) for the establishment of an LTO District Office aims to fast track applications for drivers’ licenses and vehicle registration in the third district of Negros Occidental.It will also ensure the strict enforcement of land transportation laws, Benitez said.Economic growth in the third district has been driving the increase in the volume of LTO transactions that are handled by the LTO Bacolod District Office, he said.It is necessary to create a new district office for the third district for efficient delivery of LTO services, he said.He pointed ...

The House of Representatives approved the bill raising the age of statutory rape “widens the shield of the law in protecting minors from sexual predators who exploit their vulnerability,” Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said Wednesday, December 2.The House passed on final reading Tuesday House Bill 7836, increasing the age for determining statutory rape from 12 to below 16, Benitez said.House Bill 7836 is a consolidation of several bills, including House Bill 5795 authored by Benitez.With 207 affirmative votes, three negative votes, and no abstention, the House passed the bill that amends the 23-year-old Anti-Rape Law, as well as the Revised Penal Code.Under House Bill 7836, statutory rape is a crime done to minors below 16 instead of the current 12 ...

Ernie Pineda photoTwo food delivery service drivers and two policemen out of 544 who were swabbed in Bacolod during the weekend have tested positive for COVID-19, Ernie Pineda, city government sectoral concerns office head, said today, December 2.One driver and two policemen will be quarantined in Bacolod City, he said.The other food delivery driver who is from Silay City will be referred to the Silay local government, he added.He said it was initially reported that 548 food delivery service drivers and policemen were swabbed, but it was later discovered that specimens of only 544 were extracted.The swab specimens were sent to Cebu City for RT-PCR testing.Testing of Bacolod Traffic Authority Office employees, jeepney drivers, and some policemen are set this weekend,...

The COVID-19 situation in Negros Occidental is under control, contrary to a report of a research team that tagged it as an area of concern, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, December 2.The COVID-19 situation in Negros Occidental is still good, it is not out of control, there is nothing to worry about, he said.The University of the Philippines-OCTA Research Team that has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation in the country recently tagged Negros Occidental among the “provinces of concern.”Diaz, who disputed the claim of the research team, said “we know better what is happening on the ground.”The Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital molecular laboratory real-time report shows that Negros Occidental on Nov. 27 had 85 COVID-19 cases, Nov. 28 – 84, Nov. 2...

Sagay City had the most number of COVID-19 active cases in Negros Occidental at 105 as of Tuesday, the Negros Occidental Provincial Incident Management Team reported today, December 2.Candoni and Sipalay City, on the other hand, had zero COVID-19 active cases.The local government unit with the second most number of COVID-19 active cases is Kabankalan City with 88 followed by San Carlos City with 85, Cadiz City – 50, EB Magalona - 40, Bago City and Silay City – 37 each, Victorias City – 34, Isabela – 28;Binalbagan and Hinigaran– 27 each, Talisay and Himamaylan City – 22 each, La Carlota City – 15, La Castellana – 12, Pontevedra -10, Escalante City – 9, Calatrava, Toboso and San Enrique – 8 each, Pulupandan – 7, Ilog – 4, Moises Padilla – 3, Salvador Benedicto, Murcia, Valladolid...

The Department of Social Services and Development is set to distribute P32 million in COVID-19 pandemic aid to 5,755 Bacolod residents starting tomorrow until Saturday, City DSSD head Pacita Tero said today, December 2.The distribution will be made in the barangays where the residents live, she said.Tero said 5,185 additional Bacolod residents will also receive P6,000 each for a total of P31.1 million under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act 2.The 5,185 had been waitlisted for Social Amelioration Program assistance since they were not covered in previous payouts, she said.She said P911,000 from the previous city cash assistance that has not been distributed yet will also be released to 570 residents, some of whom were affected by COVID-19 lockdowns.*

Mayor Pedro Zayco has shortened the curfew hours of Kabankalan City this December.Zayco in Executive Order Number 51-2020 amended a previous order and set the curfew in Kabankalan from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily.The previous curfew in the city was from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., he said.Kabankalan had seven new COVID 19 cases today, one of whom was an employee of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The six other COVID-19 positive persons are Locally Stranded Individuals and residents of Kabankalan, the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital laboratory results show, he added.Thirty-two other Kabankalan government employees tested positive for COVID-19 earlier, Zayco said.*

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is calling on fellow La Sallians to be responsible and conscientious in both their words and deeds.The governor, in his statement issued today, December 2, did not refer to any individual, but the University of St. La Salle is currently investigating an indecent post against Vice President Leni Robredo on the Facebook wall of Johnrey Apellido, 21, a first year USLS Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student.The governor said he is truly disheartened when La Sallians utter dishonorable, imprudent, sexist, and injurious comments.Lacson told his fellow La Sallians they are expected to be the bringers of positive change, and the least they can do is to be responsible in both their words and deeds.“Being a La Sallian is n...

The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on second reading today, December 2, the P2.6 billion city government budget for 2021, that is P400 million lower than this year’s P3 billion budget, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said.Familiaran said he expects the annual budget to be passed on third and final reading next week.He said the budget is down P400 million because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused the temporary closure of businesses.Based on projections of the City Treasurer’s Office, business tax collections will drop, he said.They can always pass a supplementary budget if more business taxes are paid, he added.*

City PIO file photoMayor Evelio Leonardia said under Modified General Community Quarantine more businesses in Bacolod City can operate at full capacity this December, except for some exceptions, that will help reinvigorate the local economy.“MGCQ is very good news for the local economy, it will allow more businesses to open and generate jobs that are badly needed,” Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, said today, December 1.It will now allow for more inter-island travel and the infusion of money into the local economy, he added.Leonardia late Monday night, November 30, issued Executive Order No. 73, Series of 2020 placing Bacolod City under MGCQ starting today until December 31, after President Rodrigo Duterte de-escalated th...