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All mayors and health officials in Negros Occidental have been advised to strengthen their preparedness and response against the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), with cases in the province having increased by 6,300 percent.The province is on alert status versus HFMD cases, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said Thursday, February 9.There were 320 HFMD cases reported from January 1 to February 4, or an increase by 6,300 percent compared to the five cases in the same period last year, he said.Kabankalan City had the highest number of HFMD cases at 73.HFMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting various life stages but occurs most often in children, Tumimbang said.Infection can be transmitted by person-to-person contact through nose and throat sec...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared Friday, February 10, a special non working holiday in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.This is to mark the celebration of Talisay’s 25th Charter Anniversary, Proclamation 143 issued Tuesday, February 7, said.“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Talisay be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies,” the proclamation signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin for the president added.*

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he would prefer that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issue an executive order creating the Negros Island Region, instead of sub-regions, ahead of the passage of a law.The EO could be similar to the one issued by former President Benigno Aquino III that led to the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental and Oriental on May 29, 2015, Lacson said on Wednesday, February 8.However, former President Rodrigo Duterte abolished the NIR on Aug. 9, 2017.Lacson also reiterated that the call of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo for the creation of a third Negros province to ensure “equal footing” under the new region can be addressed through other means.The need for equal footing can b...

Councilor Al Victor Espino delivering his privilege speech on Wednesday*Bacolod Councilor Al Victor Espino aired his opposition to City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III’s issuance of memorandums to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, which he called disrespectful.Espino, in a privilege speech delivered during the SP regular session on Wednesday, February 8, said Maghari should not be issuing memorandums to the city council because the executive and legislative branches of government are co-equal.“We are defending the institution which is the Sangguniang Panlungsod,” which is not subservient to the city administrator, he said.The city administrator’s issuance of memorandums to the SP is unacceptable and should not be repeated, Espino said.The SP has received four memorandums f...

The drug-bust at Sitio Canday-ong, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, on Tuesday, February 7.*Drug enforcement officers arrested a plea bargainer and confiscated about 1 kilo of suspected shabu worth P6.9 million during a buy-bust operation at Sitio Canday-ong, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, 10:50 p.m. Tuesday, February 7.The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 7 (PDEA) identified the jobless suspect as Fernando Saraga, 54.Operatives of the PDEA 7 Regional Special Enforcement Team, PDEA Negros Oriental Provincial Office, and Dumaguete City Drug Enforcement Unit confiscated four packs of suspected shabu weighing about a kilo, the buy-bust money, a mobile phone, and other non-drug evidence.The drug evidence have been submitted for chemical analysis, the PDEA said.A case fo...

What was left of the house that was hit by fire.*BFP photoA pastor and his neighbor were injured in a fire that destroyed a house at Purok Matinumanon, Brgy. Felisa, Bacolod City, 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 7.Injured were pastor Sunny Soriano, 62, who sustained minor burns on his right arm and his neighbor Jordan Buga, 39, who had burns on his left hand, the Bureau of Fire Protection reported. Buga was identified as the owner of the house that was destroyed by the fire.The BFP placed the cost of the destruction at P120,000.The electricity in Buga’s house fluctuated prompting him to turn off the power through a switch box, but when he turned it on again fire broke out, the BFP said.The pastor was injured when he turned off the fuse box again and was hit by sparks from the...

NFSP president Enrique D. Rojas and PANAYFED president Danilo A. Abelita*The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (PANAYFED) are asking the Sugar Regulatory Administration to allocate equally between sugar producers and industrial users the rights for the proposed sugar importation, and to implement a fair and transparent process in awarding the importation.“We recommend that all sugar producers, both planters and millers alike, should be allowed to participate in the program through their federations or associations, or through any accredited sugar trader to whom they will assign their import rights,” NFSP President Enrique D. Rojas and PANAYFED President Danilo A. Abelita said in their joint letter sent to the Sugar Board ...

Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District)*Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said two House committees approved three bills for the Third District of Negros Occidental on Wednesday, February 8.House Bills 1448 and 2334 creating new Regional Trial Courts (RTC) for Silay and Victorias cities were approved by the Committee on Justice.House Bill 2332 establishing a Professional Regulation Commission Service Center in Victorias was approved by the House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation.Benitez, in seeking the creation of new RTC branches in Silay and Victorias, said the 1987 Constitution guarantees the right of all persons to speedy disposition of cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bod...