Carla P. Gomez

PIA photoFacilities to boost the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic worth P52 million were inaugurated in the cities of Bacolod and Silay in Negros Occidental today, October 30.Inaugurated were quarantine and isolation facilities in Barangay Alijis and a 32-bed dormitory at then Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City, and another 32-bed dormitory at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City, Regional Director Lea Delfinado of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said.Secretary Vince Dizon, National Policy Against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod partylist), and Mayor Evelio L...

Contributed photoTyphoon Quinta floods destroyed P39.1 million in crops and animals, an updated report from the provincial government showed today, October 30.The loss of rice and corn crops hit P38,131,719, and P1,051,258.16 for farm animals.Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said the floods hit 2,625.71 hectares affecting 2,091 farmers.Rice crop destruction in Bago City was placed at P24,665,235, Hinoba-an - P4,235,350, Sipalay City - P3,798,671, Moises Padilla – P1,667, 596, Himamaylan City – P1,459,166, Isabela – P1,422,700, Cadiz City - P427,476, Valladolid – P234, 175 and Pulupandan – P38, 840, he said.Corn crop destruction in Sipalay City was P168,535 and Moises Padilla - P13,975, Masculino added.*

Richard Malihan photoThe flag at the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City is flying at half staff for the provincial head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government who passed away at past 11 p.m. Wednesday, October 28, after being hit by COVID-19.Ferdinand Panes, 60, passed away at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo after suffering from a heart attack and becoming comatose, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, October 29.He had gone home to Iloilo on October 2, was diagnosed with COVID-19, and was intubated at the St. Paul’s Hospital on October 13, Diaz added.Diaz said about 30 DILG staff members in Negros Occidental were tested for COVID-19 and one casual employee tested positive.The casual employee was quarantined at the Mambukal Resort...

Department of Health and Department of the Interior and Local Government officials in Western Visayas are endorsing the appeal of Mayor Evelio Leonardia to the national Inter-Agency Task Force to de-escalate the status of Bacolod City from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), City Administrator Em Ang said Wednesday night, October 28.President Duterte on Tuesday, October 27, announced that Bacolod would remain under GCQ until the end of November.Dr. Marlyn Concovar, DOH regional director, has announced that Bacolod is qualified to be under MGCQ subject to observance of gatekeeping parameters, Ang said.Leonardia in his appeal for the city to be placed under MGCQ said there is already a significant indication of a continuous reductio...

Contributed photoFloods brought on by Typhoon Quinta destroyed P36 million in rice crops and farm animals in Negros Occidental, provincial officials said Wednesday, October 28.Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said initial reports from three cities and four towns showed that destruction to rice crops hit P34,950,127.68Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena placed the loss of farm animals at P1,051,258.16 in six towns and two cities.Masculino said the rice crop destruction has affected 1,735 farmers and 8,312 hectares of rice lands in Negros Occidental.Initial reports showed that rice damage hit Sipalay City, Cadiz City, Bago City, Hinoba-an, Moises Padilla, Isabela, and Pontevedra, Masculino said.Decena said farm animals killed during the floods were chicken...

Contributed photoFloods brought on by Typhoon Quinta caused P7.5 million in damage to rice crops and farm animals in Negros Occidental.Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said initial reports on Tuesday, October 27, from three towns and two cities showed that damage to rice crops hit P6,472,425 .96Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena placed the loss of farm animals at P1,051,258.16 in six towns and two cities.Masculino said the rice crop damage has affected 275 farmers in Negros Occidental.Initial reports show that rice damage in Sipalay City hit P147,398.16, Cadiz City P161,993.60, Hinoba-an P2,416,890, Moises Padilla - P1,180,256, and Pontevedra - P66,960, Masculino said.Decena said farm animals killed during the floods were chickens, pigs, goats, carabaos...

A Bacolod City Regional Trial Court judge Tuesday issued a 20-day restraining order enjoining the Bacolod City Water District and PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. from implementing their joint venture agreement (JVA) until further orders from the court.Bacolod RTC Branch 45 judge Phoebe Gargantiel Balbin was acting on a petition filed by Bacolod Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. and Pepito Pico who are seeking the nullification of the JVA.The judge said granting the TRO is merely to preserve the status quo until the preliminary injunction is heard and determined, it having been made to appear that the acts of the defendants if not restrained would adversely affect water consumers and irreparable damage would be caused.She set the hearing of the application for a preliminary injunction...

EDC Negros Oriental facility head, Debonaire Mamhot (left), recently turned over the RT-PCR machines to Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo (right) and the Negros Oriental IATF group. Raffy Cabristante photoNegros Oriental now has a much needed molecular laboratory that will soon be conducting 500 COVID-19 tests a day.Negros Oriental provincial government, Energy Development Corp. (EDC), and Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) officials inaugurated the province’s first molecular testing center today, October 28The testing facility will enable more timely reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing of COVID-19 swab samples from local residents once it completes all accreditation requirements and gets the green light from the Department of Health, Richard...