Business

Residents in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, try to salvage potentially useful objects that litter a muddy road.* The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Negros Oriental is verifying reports of unscrupulous vendors increasing the prices of bottled water in typhoon-hit Canlaon City.Krystle Jade Bato, DTI-Negros Oriental spokesperson and OIC chief of Consumer Welfare Protection Division, on Wednesday said her team will stay in Canlaon City for a few days to look into the reports."We have received information that a 10-liter bottle of water is sold at PHP150 each," Bato said. "We want to make sure no one will take advantage of the current situation in Canlaon City."Canlaon City was among the areas hit hard by Typhoon "Tino", where strong winds and flas...

The polluted  waters of Manjuyod.*Romeo Subaldo photo The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has warned that fish and other seafood from the coastal waters of Bais and Manjuyod, Negros Oriental, should not be consumed until laboratory tests confirm that contaminant levels have fallen within safe limits.In a technical report released on November 11, BFAR Region 7 said fish samples from the affected areas will only be declared safe once laboratory analyses confirm that heavy metals, pathogens, and bacterial counts are below the established safety thresholds.The advisory follows a wastewater spill from the Universal Robina Corporation (URC) distillery plant in Bais City on October 26, which caused a massive fish kill and widespread conta...

City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo presides over a meeting with the Bacolod City Local Price Coordinating Council to tackle inspection measures*Mayor Greg Gasataya, chairperson of the Bacolod City-Local Price Coordinating Council (BC-LPCC), and Department of Trade and Industry – Negros Occidental Provincial Director Lynna Joy Cardinal signed an Automatic Price Control (APC) agreement on Monday, Nov. 10, to strictly enforce a price freeze on basic necessities across major establishments. This follows the city’s declaration of a state of calamity last week. City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo said that the Local Price Coordinating Council (LPCC) has convened to implement measures to ensure compliance with the automatic price freeze on basi...

Dr. Amalia Fernandez, medical specialist of Philippine Health Insurance Corp.-Western Visayas Benefits Administration section, discusses the services that members and their dependents can avail for free under the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program during a press forum in Bacolod City on Friday.*The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is encouraging Negrenses to avail of services under the Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP), an enhanced primary care benefit package that focuses on preventive and promotive healthcare.Dr. Amalia Fernandez, medical specialist of PhilHealth-Western Visayas Benefits Administration section, said members and their dependents can enlist using their identification number with the nearest YAKAP provider in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental."We have a ...

Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson .*Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo met with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson  on Thursday, Nov. Y6,  to seek help for her town’s recovery and the emergency repair of the Taytay Intigiwan Bridge following the devastation left by Typhoon  "Tino".The  bridge is a vital link connecting Moises Padilla to Canlaon   City, she said.The mayor said the bridge sustained heavy damage during the typhoon, forcing authorities to limit passage to motorcycles and tricycles only, for safety concerns. Motorists driving larger vehicles have been advised to avoid the area until the structure is declared safe.Garcia  also said all the hangin...

Canlaon City in Negros Oriental that sustained heavy damage also declared a state of calamity.* Romeo Subaldo photoThe entire Negros Occidental was declared under a state of calamity Thursday,  Nov. 6., following the widespread devastation left by Typhoon "Tino", Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson  announced.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the  release of P760 million  in direct aid  to provinces and cities affected by the typhoon, of which P50 million was allocated for Negros Occidental and P10 million for Negros Oriental.The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the recommendation of  the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management   Council (DRRMC) headed by Lacson to place the entire Negros Occidental under a s...

Bacolod City is now under a state of calamityThe Bacolod Sangguniang Panlalawigan Thursday afternoon, November 6, approved the request of Mayor Greg Gasataya and the recommendation of the Bacolod Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (BDRRMC) for its declaration following the widespread damage left by Typhoon "Tino".“We need to implement a price freeze, which is essential during a calamity. We also understand the situation of our barangays whose funds have been depleted and can no longer sustain the needs of evacuees and affected families,” Gasataya said.Councilor Dindo Ramos said the declaration will allow barangays to immediately utilize 30 percent of their quick response fund from their 5 percent calamity fund.In addition, the local government can also access it...

The provincial goverment delivered food packs to affected areas.*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, Nov. 6, appealed to businessmen not to take advantage of the situation following Typhoon "Tino".The declaration of a state of calamity in Negros Occidental  means a price freeze on basic necessities and prime commodities takes effects in the entire province  to prevent hoarding and overpricing, he said.However, not all goods are included in the price freeze list, he said.Lacson said he is appealing to businessmen "to have a heart,   people are suffering right now. Many  actually lost work for two, three days already...let's not add more  problems for the suffering Negrenses  and let's control the prices".Lacson said the i...

Preemptive evacuation in Bacolod.*BCCOMayor Greg Gasataya on Wednesday, Nov. 5, thanked frontliners, barangay officials, and partner agencies for their coordinated and preemptive measures in Bacolod City which ensured residents' safety during the onslaught of  Typhoon ‘Tino’ resulting in zero casualties."For whatever it’s worth, we really thank everyone who heeded the call for preemptive evacuation. In my assessment, we really saved a lot of lives," Gasataya said in a press release on Wednesday, Nov. 5.The Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) reported that 7,296 families, or 25,179 individuals, from 43 barangays were evacuated starting Monday afternoon. This included over 50 individuals, including persons with disabilities and senior citizens, from...