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Dec292022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Capitol releases all benefits in time for New Year: Diaz

The gratuity pay of the 1,735 Negros Occidental provincial government job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers was released Thursday, December 29, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the appropriation of P15 million for the gratuity pay on Tuesday.The target was for the P5,000 gratuity pay to be downloaded to their accounts by Thursday afternoon, he said.The P50,000 bonus for each of the provincial government’s regular and casual employees have also all been released, he said.The instructions of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer was to make sure all the benefits were released before the end of the year, he said.The provincial government will also release performance based bonuses (PBB) to its...

Dec292022 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Millgate sugar prices rebound, good 2023 start for planters: Yulo

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It will be a good 2023 start for the sugar industry as millgate sugar prices strongly rebounded after a 3-week slide.Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo (Neg. Occ., 5th Distirct), former Sugar Regulatory Administration board member, said sugar producers are happy to see “sugar prices bounce back after almost a month of downward slump.”“Prices have breached the P3,000 per 50LKg bag which will make it a little bit profitable for our farmers who were on their toes in the past weeks, seeing the downtrend in sugar prices,” Yulo said, adding that the current price is “comfortable enough to ease the fears among the planters.”He said there is a “misconception” that planters earn from the high cost of retail sugar that continues to prevail in metro areas, not knowing that in the past weeks, “pl...

Dec282022 by Nico DelfinNo Comments

City gov’t tells IPM-CDC to double garbage collection during holidays

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The IPM-Construction and Development Corp. (IPM- CDC) has been directed to double its garbage collection efforts in Bacolod City during the holidays.The city garbage is expected to double up to the first week of 2023, Department of Public Services officer-in- charge Mariafe Tresfuentes said on Wednesday, December 28.About 1,800 cubic meters of trash is usually delivered to Bacolod's sanitary landfill a day, she said.The IPM-CDC has been asked to deploy more garbage trucks to double garbage collection efforts to avoid a backlog, she said.The DPS is also deploying striker teams to help pick up garbage in the barangays when IPM-CDC garbage collectors cannot immediately respond.The DPS is also asking residents to document their complaints against garbage collectors who are ...

Dec282022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

709 NOCPPO cops promoted to next rank

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A total of 709 policemen of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO) were promoted to the next higher rank effective December 12.Earlier the Bacolod City Police Office also announced that 269 of its policemen, 18 of whom are officers, were also promoted the next higher rank.Promoted at the NOCPPO were 13 captains to majors, 39 lieutenants to captains, 34 chief master sergeants to executive master sergeants, 40 senior master sergeants to chief master sergeants, 28 master sergeants to senior master sergeants, 57 staff sergeants to master sergeants, 317 corporals to staff sergeants, and 181 patrolmen to corporals.*

Dec282022 by Nico DelfinNo Comments

Stay at your posts, BTAO head warns Bacolod traffic enforcers

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Trucks continue to congest the Circumferential Road in Bacolod City despite a regulated truck ban imposed during the holidays.Police Maj. Junji Liba, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) head, stressed on Wednesday, December 28, that the number of trucks from warehouses allowed to pass through the Circumferential Road are supposed to follow a 5-minute interval rule.Liba warned all traffic personnel to remain at their post to ensure that the truck ban is strictly implemented.“I understand that a few of them are still waiting for their salaries to be released,” the BTAO head said, but “still they must remain at their posts to assist motorists, especially during peak hours.”They must see to it that the traffic guidelines are being followed, Liba said.A buddy-system amon...

Dec282022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

All Negros’ disaster units ordered to go on blue alert

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The low pressure area as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, PAGASA said.*Acting Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer has ordered all Disaster Risk Reduction Management Centers (DRRMCs) in Negros Occidental to go on blue alert starting Friday until Monday, December 30 to January 2.Ferrer, in a memorandum, said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Emergency Operations Center and all city and municipal DRRMCs, will be under blue alert in view of the effect of the shear line on the province and monitoring of the "Oplan Iwas Paputok" during the New Year celebration.Blue alert means continuous monitoring and preparedness measures are heightened, he said.State weather bureau PAGASA earlier said the shear line was triggering widespread rain over various parts of the country.A low pressure ...

Dec282022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

AGE cases in Bacolod rise to 514, deaths 19

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The Acute GastroEnteritis (AGE) cases in Bacolod City have increased to 514, with 19 deaths, the City Health Office reported Wednesday, December 28.The AGE cases from December 11 to 17 increased by 28 and the deaths by two, it said.The cholera cases in Bacolod City are now 32, the report also said.The reported confirmed cholera cases were in barangays Banago – seven, Alijis, Granada, Handumanan, Sum-ag and Mandalagan – three each, Bata and 30 – two each, Cabug, Estefania, Mansilingan, 40, 1 and Tangub – one each.On December 10 the AGE cases in Bacolod were 486 with 17 deaths and cholera cases were 30.To avoid food and water borne diseases use safe and potable water for drinking and domestic use and ask assistance from barangay for chlorination of community water sources...

Dec282022 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

SSS benefit disbursements P236.3B from Jan-Nov 2022, up 13.2 percent

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The Social Security System (SSS) disbursed a total of P236.3 billion in benefits from January to November 2022, a growth of 13.2 percent from the P208.8 billion benefit disbursements it recorded for the same period last year.SSS President and CEO Michael G. Regino, in a press release, said the rise in disbursements this year is driven by the increases in number of benefit claims, number of members and pensioners, and amount of benefit releases for retirement, disability, and death.“For the first 11 months of 2022, we have received 4.58 million benefit claims. This is 7.3 percent higher than the 4.27 million benefit claims we received for the same period last year,” Regino said.“Our pensioners, which stood at three million in 2021, grew to 3.18 million by November 2022, while ou...

Dec282022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

‘Sugar importation will help bring down PH inflation rate’

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The Philippine sugar industry needs to increase its production, Acting Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said.*Ronnie Baldonado photoActing Negros Occidental Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said on Wednesday, December 28, that the high prices of sugar in the retail market are contributing to more than 30 percent of the country’s current 8 percent inflation rate.But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is doing everything he can to address the high inflation rate, Ferrer assured.The Department of Agriculture earlier announced the move to import 64,050 metric tons of refined sugar under the minimum access volume (MAV), he noted.This will help bring down the inflation rate, Ferrer added.Agriculture deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez said the decision to import more sugar under MAV is in response unde...

Dec282022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Neg. Occ. SP approves P15M for JO, COS workers’ gratuity pay

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Acting Negros Occidental Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer*The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the appropriation of P15 million for the gratuity pay of the Negros Occidental provincial government job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers on Tuesday, December 27.The gratuity pay will be given to 1,735 JO and COS workers, Acting Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said Wednesday.The maximum amount to be released will be P5,000 for JO and COS workers who have rendered service for at least four months.A gratuity pay of P4,000 will be given to COS and JO workers who have rendered three months or more but less than four months of service, P3,000 for workers who have rendered two months or more but less than three months, and P2,000 for workers who rendered less than two months, Ferrer said....