Top Stories

More COVID-19 vaccinations key to return to normal, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson says.* ADB photo“We want to go back to normal” and are calling on more residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to achieve this, Negros Occidental Gov.  Eugenio Jose Lacson said Sunday, July 10.“Down the road, we want to go back to normal, hence this call for more vaccination,” Lacson said in response to the appeal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday for local officials to support the COVID-19 booster campaign in order to safely resume face-to-face classes and fully reopen the economy.Face to face classes in Negros Occidental have started but not at 100 percent, Lacson said, adding that he still has to consult with the schools division superintendent.Negros Occidental remains to be...

The recoveries from a drug bust at Brgy. Punta Taytay, Bacolod City, on Sunday, July 10.*BCPO photoMore than P500,000 worth of drugs were seized and three suspects were captured, including two suspected high-value targets, in a police buy-bust operation at Brgy. Punta Taytay, Bacolod City, early Sunday, July 10.Nabbed were  Cyril “Toto Cyril” Gepielago, 49,  Julius "Pioky” Londres, 42, and Pearly Mae “Liming” Panes, 30. Gepielago and Londres were tagged by the police as high-value individuals in the anti-drugs campaign.During the bust, the police recovered 77 grams of suspected shabu worth P523,600 from the suspects, the P1,000 in marked money, a sling bag, a coin purse, and P200 in cash believed to be proceeds from the sale of drugs.The suspects, who wil...

The Bacolod dengue awareness drive*The Bacolod City government has stepped up its dengue awareness and prevention  drive with the expected increase in cases during the rainy season, Dr. Grace Tan, chief of the City Health Office Environment Sanitation Division, said Sunday, July 10.Bacolod had 302 dengue cases and 6 deaths as of July 2, which are 196 percent higher than last year, a Bacolod City Epidemiological Surveillance Unit (BCESU) report showed.The fatalities were an 11-year-old male from  Singcang,  20-year-old female from Pahanocoy,  19-year-old male  from Sum-ag,  75-year-old male from Tangub, and a 13-year-old female and 7-year-old female from Mansilingan.The age range of those hit by dengue in Bacolod City was from 3 months old to 86...

Army map of the encounter site*The New People’s Army claimed on Friday, July 8, said that the alleged encounter with state troopers on July 6 in Binalbagan,  Negros Occidental, which claimed the lives of four of their  comrades, was a “massacre.”But the government forces refuted their claims, saying that the NPA is spreading lies to cover the setback following the death of their four members.Ka Juanito Magbanua, spokesperson of the NPA Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, claimed the encounter was “fake.”Their comrades were sick and resting when the soldiers raided their hut, he said.The state forces should have not neutralized the rebels because they were not well and could not fight, Magbanua added.Capt. Kim Apitong, officer-in-charge of the Public Affairs Offi...

Four Negros Occidental  local government units  are at  dengue alert threshold, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said  Friday, July 8.The four are Hinigaran, La Carlota City, Binalbagan and  Cadiz City, he said, citing a July 2 report on the dengue situation in Negros Occidental.The report shows that Cadiz City is nearing an epidemic threshold, he also said.The PHO only recommends fogging operations if an area is at an epidemic threshold.He said fogging operations were conducted in Hinigaran when it earlier hit the epidemic threshold.Negros Occidental has had 1,800 dengue cases and 10 deaths this year, he said.*

Vice President Sara Duterte with mayors Nicholas Yulo, Salvador Escalante, Renato Gustilo, Raymund Tongson, Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Narciso Javelosa (l-r)* RTongson Facebook page photoPresident Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stressed the need to implement a booster campaign against COVID-19 at a virtual meeting with city mayors from around the country, including Negros Occidental, who gathered at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang Palace Friday night, July 8, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.The president also discussed plans towards the resumption of face-to-face classes, he added.The President delivered his message virtually while currently in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.“He has a slight fever, but is otherwise okay,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles ...

There are 334,000 doses of AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccines pre-ordered by the Bacolod City government under the Leonardia administration that have expired at the Department of Health central office cold storage facility in Metro Manila, Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr. confirmed Friday, July 8.Bacolod had ordered 650,000 AZ doses under its tripartite agreement with the Department of Health and the manufacturer, Miraflor, former City Health Office OIC, said.Of the 650,000 doses ordered, 212,000 arrived in Bacolod City, he said.Miraflor said that 334,000 of the remaining 438,000 doses stored at the DOH Central Office had expired, with another 104,000 set to expire on July 31.The city government only has the capacity to use 20,000 doses of the 104,000 doses with expiry dates on July ...

A construction worker died after he was hit by a Toyota Wigo in Talisay City Thursday, July 7.*Talisay PNP photoA construction worker was killed after he was hit by a vehicle while crossing the Mabini National Highway intersection at Brgy. Zone 1 in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, July 7.Killed was 55-year-old Roberto Parreño of the barangay.The victim was crossing the highway when he was allegedly bumped by the Toyota Wigo driven by 20-year-old student Anne Javelona of Brgy. Guinhalaran, Silay City.The victim was brought to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, where he later expired.The driver was held at the Talisay police station.*

A merchandiser was allegedly caught stealing chocolate bars.*Talisay PNP photoA man was caught after he allegedly stole six chocolate bars at Savemore Supermarket in Brgy. Zone 12, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Thursday, July 7.Nabbed was Ronald Moveres, 22, a Savemore Supermarket merchandiser, of Calong-Calong, Zone 4, Brgy. Singcang, Bacolod City.Police said the security guard claimed she caught the suspect in the act stealing six pieces of Hershey’s cocoa creations worth P56.50 each, with a total of P339. The items were reportedly recovered from the suspect’s jacket.Moveres allegedly failed to show a store receipt.He was in the custody of the Talisay police.*

Dr. Julius Drilon , CLMMRH chief, said he also tested positive for COVID-19 in Manila and has recovered.*The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City is limiting admissions at two of its departments to “extreme emergency cases only” after some personnel were exposed to their COVID-19 positive colleagues, Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH chief, said Friday, July 8.The Department of Pediatrics and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology were directed to   limit admissions effective immediately, he said.Some of the hospital personnel assigned to these areas were exposed to a doctor and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse who tested positive for COVID-19, Drilon said.All of the exposed personnel will have to undergo isolation to prevent the spre...