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The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved a P348,392,739 supplemental budget, the bulk of which was allocated to meet the shortfall in the province’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) for 2023, during its regular session on Tuesday, April 25.The MOOE funds of the various departments of the provincial government were reduced by 70 percent in the 2023 annual budget because of a drop in the provincial government’s share of the National Tax Allotment, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The additional funds from the supplemental budget will meet their needs for gasoline, supplies and travel allowances to enable them to be more responsive, he said.Funds were also allocated for the operations of the provincial government hospitals and special purp...

Only a few at the Panaad sa Negros Festival on Sunday night wore masks*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Tuesday, April 25, appealed to Negrenses to voluntarily go back to wearing face masks to prevent an upsurge in COVID-19 cases and the imposition of restrictions that could hurt the economy.The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases has kept 16 of the 31 local government units in Negros Occidental under Alert Level 2.Areas under Alert Level 2 are mandated to implement restrictions such as a 50 percent capacity in establishments indoors for fully vaccinated adults and 70 percent capacity outdoors, the IATF said.Lacson said “as much as possible let’s avoid putting restrictions so I’m really recommending again the using of face...

Sales at the just concluded Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Park in Bacolod City hit P23,663,642, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, April 25.Sales at the local government unit pavilions were the highest at P16,903,284 million, followed by the kiosks – P5,635,803 and trade fair – P1,124,555, the final tally showed.“Based on the congratulatory messages that I received, I would like to think that we did well in this Panaad,” Lacson said.On complaints by some that the food sold at the festival was expensive, Lacson said “every Panaad we hear that".“But especially now because of inflation,” he said, noting that prices not only at the Panaad have gone up.“We probably have broken the record as far as sales in concerned (in this year’s Panaad), me...

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist is asking for an allocation of P15 million to mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon on crops in Negros Occidental.Provincial Agriculturist Edmundo Causing said on Tuesday, April 25, that they aim to use the funds to buy water pumps and seeds for the farmers.The fund will also be used for trainings and food for work assistance.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he will discuss the OPA proposal with Causing.Causing said they have not received reports of crop damage from the heat yet.But farmers have not gone into a second cropping in their rainfed rice fields, he reiterated.*

Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez kicked off the 117th Malihaw Festival with the inauguration of seven infrastructure projects in Victorias City on Monday, April 24.For increased access to healthy foods and to promote public health and safety for Victoriahanons, P23 million was spent for the renovation of the Victorias Commercial Center, a press release from the city said Tuesday.This renovation and improvement project involved the wet market (P8 million) and the coconut section of VCC (P1.5) million to provide decent, conducive, and safe facilities for both vendors and marketgoers, it said.The P2 million Multi-purpose Hall and Basketball Court in Bahay Pag-asa, Barangay XIV were also inaugurated.To cater to the continuing increase in the number of commuters in the city, the LGU ...

Students protect themselves from the heat with umbrellas.*Levi Trio photoThe Department of Education-Schools Division of Negros Occidental (DepEd-NegOcc) has directed its personnel to mitigate the effects of the hot weather on their learners by limiting outdoor school activities.Negros Occidental Schools Division Superintendent, Anthony Liobet, said outdoor activities should not be conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and time outdoors should be for limited periods of time.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson also reiterated on Tuesday, April 25, that schools should go back to a June-to-March academic calendar, to give students a break during the scorching summer months.Students obviously cannot study well when it is very hot, he said.Now they are considering going ba...

Alex Dolorosa*The BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN) is calling for justice for a call center agent who was found dead in Purok Villa Rosario, Barangay Alijis in Bacolod City at about 5:40 a.m. Monday, April 24.The police identified the victim as Alex Dolorosa, 35, of Cadiz City, who sustained about 15 stab wounds.His body was found in a small bamboo house beside a sugarcane field.Dolorosa was a paralegal officer and union organizer of BIEN Philippines Bacolod chapter. He was also a national council member of BIEN and has been instrumental in the chapter building of BIEN Bacolod, a statement from the group said Tuesday, April 25.“The BPO Industry Employees Network abhors and condemns in the strongest form the treacherous murder of Alex Dolorosa,” it said.The man...

Negros Occidental is aiming to send many Negrense athletes to the National Palarong Pambansa, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, April 25.Lacson said the province aims to achieve that through the victory of its athletes at the five-day 2023 Western Visayas Regional Athletics Association (WVRAA) meet in Aklan that kicks off Wednesday, April 26.The governor is joining the opening rites that will be attended by about 6,000 delegates and officials.The provincial government allocated a budget to enable the Negrense athletes to arrive in Aklan a day ahead of schedule to give them time to rest before the games begin, he said.*

The recently-completed P10-million farm-to-market road project implemented by the DPWH Bacolod City District Engineering Office.*DPWH-Western Visayas photoTwo major road networks worth P80.1 million have been completed in Bacolod City that could boost access to markets and tourist sites, the Department of Public Works and Highways-Western Visayas (DPWH-6) reported on Tuesday, April 25.A P10-million project, implemented by the DPWH Bacolod City District Engineering Office, involves the construction of a one-kilometer, two-lane road, which continues the Barangay Granada farm-to-market (FMR) road construction that started in 2016.The completion of the Hacienda Mirasol to Sto. Domingo FMR, funded under the 2022 General Appropriations Act, in partnership with the Department of Agric...