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Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez and Dr. John Michael Cabuguason (left), city veterinarian, announce that nine pigs in Victorias City tested positive for ASF at a press conference at the Victorias City Hall on Tuesday, June 6.*Nanette L. Guadalquiver photoNine pigs have tested positive for the highly contagious and deadly African swine fever (ASF) in Victorias City, which include seven from Hinigaran town that were delivered to the slaughterhouse of Victorias Foods Corporation (VFC).Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez and Dr. John Michael Cabuguason, city veterinarian, announced the detection of the nine ASF cases at a press conference at the Victorias City Hall on Tuesday, June 6.“This is not a public health concern, this is an economic concern. What we are doing is being transparent and a...

Bacolod City will mark its 85th Charter Day on June 18 with week-long activities dubbed “Mga Adlaw Sang Paghanduraw” (Days of Reminiscence).The celebrations will start with the 125th Philippine Independence Day, the city government announced on Tuesday.The “Mga Adlaw Sang Paghanduraw” is the city’s annual commemoration of its history, art, and culture, as provided under City Ordinance No. 616.This year’s event, themed “Bacolod Itib-ong: Asenso Sang Siudad, Asenso Naton Tanan,” returns four years after it was first celebrated in 2019, then halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Previously, the city marked the occasion every Oct. 19.Bacolod held its first June 18 Charter Day celebration in 2019 after former president Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11146 or the new Bacol...

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Negros Occidental has lined up activities for June in celebration of National Environment Month, which highlights the use of natural resources to save the environment.Acting PENRO Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya said on Tuesday, June 6, that the activities will be held in line with the theme “No to waste: Advancing Circular Economy to #beatplasricpollution”.The theme aims “to create an economy that could uphold and efficiently utilize our natural resources in the protection of our environment,” he said.“The cooperative approach is vital in the execution of our ecological roles as humans-- that is to maintain a healthy environment and reserve by maximizing the usage of our limited natural resources,” Gerangaya said....

Two cities and one town in Negros Occidental hit the 100 percent mark, exceeding the 95 percent target in the province-wide supplemental measles rubella vaccination drive as of Monday, June 5, a Provincial Health Office report showed Tuesday.Murcia town has the highest vaccination rate at 105.63 percent followed by Himamaylan City - 105.16 percent, and Silay City - 101.93 percent, the report said.Eight out of the 31 local government units of Negros Occidental, excluding Bacolod City, also exceeded the 95 percent target set by the Department of Health.Aside from the three LGUs that hit 100 percent , those that exceeded the 95 percent target are Talisay City at 99.21 percent, Kabankalan City - 97.42 percent, La Castellana - 95.88 percent, Candoni - 95.57 percent, and Moises Padil...

Dengue cases in Negros Occidental decreased by 41 percent in the first five months of 2023 compared to the same period last year, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported on Tuesday, June 6.There were 509 cases reported in the first 21 weeks of 2023, which is 41.43 percent or 360 cases less than in the same period last year with 869 cases, the PHO reported.It also said that San Carlos City had the highest recorded dengue cases in the first five months of 2023 with 74.Acting Provincial Health Officer Girlie Pinongan attributed the drop in dengue case in Negros Occidental to the intensified campaign against the viral infection in the communities.Maybe the public has also realized that dengue can be prevalent both in wet and dry seasons, which is why mitigating activities h...

Bacolod City has allocated P10 million for cash indemnification to African Swine Fever (ASF)- affected hog raisers, while Bago City has set P8 million to aid those whose animals have died from hog cholera.Acting Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson signed Executive Order 022 Series of 2023establishing the guidelines for the granting of cash indemnification to ASF-affected hog raisers in Bacolod City on Monday, June 5.He said P10 million has initially been allocated for the purpose.As compensation for the losses incurred due to the mandatory culling/depopulation of pigs in ASF hit areas, the Bacolod City government is granting cash indemnification for the affected hog raisers, in the following amount: P3,000 per head for piglets from 0 up to 3 months old, P5,000 per pig raised for fatteni...

Mass grave being readied for dead pigs in Kabankalan City.*Another local government unit (LGU) in the 6th District of Negros Occidental reported the death of sick pigs on Tuesday, June 6.Kabankalan City reported 146 pig deaths and the dead in Ilog rose to 101 on Tuesday, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported.Losses in Ilog were at P1,172,700 and in Kabankalan - P1,633,450, the PVO added. No African Swine Fever (ASF) cases have been confirmed in the two areas of the 6th District yet.Affected hog raisers in Ilog are 39 and in Kabankalan City – 32.Biosecurity measures are being strengthened in the 6th District to prevent the spread of pig diseases.The Kabankalan African Swine Fever (ASF) Task Force in coordination with the Disposal and Decontamination Team of the p...

A Korean restaurant owner was found dead in his rented apartment in Brgy. 7, Kabankalan City, Tuesday morning, June 6, the police reported.Businessman Ramiro Arquisola, 58, a resident of Brgy. Rizal, Silay City, was found lying on the floor, the police said.One of his employees, Lera Bendon, went to his apartment after they noticed that Arquisola had not gone to the restaurant.Arquisola owns a Korean restaurant in Kabankalan City that has been operating for about two years.He lived alone with his dog.Bendon and Merly Latic, the caretaker of the apartment, opened his room and discovered Arquisola lying on the floor with blood coming out from his nose, mouth, and ears, the police said.The police said there were no traces of struggle or foul play.*

The police seized P163,200 worth of suspected shabu in separate buy-bust operations in three cities in Negros Occidental on Monday, June 5.The police arrested Arvin Soberano, 47, of Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City, in Brgy. Talaban, Himamaylan City, Monday afternoon.Recovered from him were 20 grams of suspected shabu worth about P136,000, the police said.They also recovered an improvised homemade shotgun and two live cartridges of a 12 gauge shotgun, the police reported.The suspect allegedly violated Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and R.A. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.In Victorias City, the police arrested Micheal Adelmita, 42, and a minor, and seized drug paraphernalia and P20,400 in suspected shabu in Brgy. ...

Two Negrenses have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the sale of dangerous drugs to policemen.Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 52 Judge Raymond Joseph Javier meted life terms on Hernando Pabiana Posadas Jr. of Talisay City and Noel Miguel Dadivas, alias Nognog, of Bacolod City, for the sale of shabu in violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022 and ordered them to pay fines of P500,000 each.Posadas was found guilty for the sale .104 gram of shabu to a police-poseur buyer for P500 at Hacienda Carmen, Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay City, on Sept. 5, 2020.On his arrest an additional .715 gram of shabu was recovered from his possession for which he was sentenced to 12 years and 8 months as minimum to 17 years and 8 months as maximum imprisonment and to pay ...