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Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has issued an executive order establishing the guidelines for the voluntary wearing of face masks within Negros Occidental.Executive Order No. 23-15 Series of 2023 signed April 27 and released Monday, May 8, states that the wearing of face masks is still encouraged for the elderly, individuals with comorbidities, immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, unvaccinated individuals and symptomatic individuals.The EO also states that mask wearing shall be mandatory in the following settings:*Healthcare facilities, including but not limited to, clinics, hospitals, laboratories nursing homes, and dialysis clinics;*Enclosed areas; and*Public transportation vehicles by land, air or sea except for tricycles and non-airconditioned p...

PCol. Noel Aliño, acting Bacolod police director*A Bacolod police Special Investigation Team (SIT) convened Saturday to act on unsolved crimes, including the dumped bodies and body parts, in the city, PCol. Noel Aliño, acting Bacolod police director, said Sunday, May 7.The SIT is headed by Aliño with the commanders of the 10 Bacolod police stations among its members.“We will work as a team”, he stressed.Ten tracker teams from each of the Bacolod police stations were also created to solve crimes in their areas.Aliño said the SIT will meet weekly to discuss the progress of investigations and further action that they may need to take.The SIT will supervise the investigation of past and current crimes in Bacolod City, he said.He said a 24/7 police outpost has also b...

The body of a Cauayan, Negros Occidental, resident who drowned on Wednesday, was found on Saturday, May 6.Elsa Alonzo Mancia, 50, had slipped into a river in Sitio Payong, Barangay Guiljungan, Cauayan, amid heavy rain, and a multi-agency search and rescue operation was conducted, PLt. Raffy Billones, Cauayan deputy police chief, said Sunday.The Cauayan Mountain Tigers reported that the body of Mancia was sighted in the waters at the boundary of Guimaras by fishermen and was brought to the shoreline of Barangay Tiling.Mancia’s son confirmed that the body was that of his mother.*

Ensure effective disease monitoring, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.* Richard Malihan photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has called on the mayors of Negros Occidental to strengthen the animal biosecurity measures in their areas effective immediately.Pigs in an overpopulated farm in EB Magalona have died because of alleged intense heat, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday.The farm has been quarantined to facilitate the screening and culling of the sick pigs, he said.But he stressed that Negros Occidental remains African Swine Fever-free.EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon on Sunday, May 7, had no comment on the matter.Lacson in a memorandum to all Negros Occidental mayors dated April 27 said in view of the serious threat of trans boundary animal diseases such ...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Sunday, May 7, that while the World Health Organization’s lifting of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern on COVID-19 was a positive development, vigilance against the virus should remain.“This is a positive development but just the same COVID-19 can be treated as an endemic still present in our country. Vigilance is prudent. Use of face mask is beneficial,” he said.An increase in COVID-19 cases has been reported in the country, and on Saturday Negros Occidental had 17 new ones for a total of 91 active cases.Lacson said that is the “result of opening up”.“For the unvaccinated, please consider getting vaccinated” against COVID-19, he said.The DOH said on Saturday that the WHO declaration is “an acknowledg...

Three transportation groups will gather in front of the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) at 6 a.m. Monday, May 8, to air their demands, and stage a transport strike.PCol. Noel Aliño, acting Bacolod police director, said they expect the strike to be peaceful but have put security measures in place.The Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators and Drivers, Negros Bacolod Transport Coalition, and the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center members with their jeepneys will gather at the BCGC where they will hold a program to air their demands after the city government’s flag ceremony, Noli Rosales, Kilusang Mayo Uno secretary general, said.Rosales said they will stay in front of the BCGC until the afternoon if Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez does not face them.They want t...

More than 100,000 children aged five years old and below were vaccinated against measles, rubella and polio during the first week of the ongoing Chikiting Ligtas campaign in Western Visayas.Chikiting Ligtas or the Measles, Rubella and Oral Polio Vaccine Supplemental Immunization Activity (MR OPV SIA) is being conducted simultaneously nationwide until May 31 to address the increasing number of measles cases in the country and avert an outbreak, Dr. Adriano Suba-an, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH) in Western Visayas, said.Records from the Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development shows that from May 1 to May 5, a total of 113,583 children aged nine to 59 months were inoculated with measles and rubella vaccines. This translates to 17.21 per...