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No additional local government unit in Negros Occidental has been de-escalated to COVID-19 Alert Level 1.Bacolod City and 12 local government units of Negros Occidental will remain under Alert Level 1, while the rest of the province will stay under Alert Level 2 for the period August 1 to 15, the Department of Health (DOH) that chairs the  Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced Sunday, July 31.The Negros Occidental LGUs under Alert Level 1 are the cities of Sagay, Victorias, La Carlota, Cadiz and Talisay, and the municipalities of Ilog, EB Magalona, Pulupandan, San Enrique, Candoni, Pontevedra and Valladolid.Other areas in Western Visayas that will remain under Alert Level 1 are Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Provinc...

A man who was allegedly involved in gunrunning activities in northern  Negros Occidental was arrested in a buy-bust operation at Hda. Dagingding, Brgy Rizal, Silay City, Thursday, July 28.Nabbed was  Stephen Superal, 42, of Prk. Cagaycay, Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City. He was a newly identified member of “Kilas Group” that was allegedly involved in gunrunning activities in the cities of Silay and Talisay and adjacent localities.During an entrapment operation, the suspect yielded a  .45 caliber pistol with one magazine and six live ammunition, the P19,950 boodle money, the P50 marked money, and a paper bag.The suspect is now in the  custody of the Silay police.*

Alleged NPA member Adrian Omilig*PRO-6 photoAn alleged member of the New People’s Army in Negros Occidental was arrested by the Philippine National Police and Philippine Army at his home at Purok 6, Maote, Bulwagan, Hinoba-an on Thursday, July 28.Nabbed was Adrian “Tortor/Niko” Omilig, who was said to be a squad leader of  the Sentro de Gravidad Platoon of the  South West Front that operates in Southern Negros, Lt. Col. Arnel Solis, Police Regional Office-6 information officer, said Friday.Omilig was allegedly involved in an armed encounter with government troopers in April 2021 at Sitio Yuring, Barangay Bulwagan, Hinoba-an, he said.His apprehension stemmed from an arrest warrant for attempted murder issued by Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Rodney Magbanua....

The body of the 19-year-old was found in this sugarcane field.*NORPPO photoA 19-year-old was beaten  to death by his minor girlfriend's step brother in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on Wednesday, July 27.Killed was Reymark Torres, who was visiting his 16-year-old girlfriend when the latter received a call from her father that his son Rotchel Andaya was going to kill her boyfriend.Torres then went home, but the suspect waylaid and killed him.The victim tried to escape but the suspect came after him.The suspect is currently at large.*

Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez*The creative industries development bill co-authored by Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) lapsed into law on Thursday, July 28 without the signature of former president Rodrigo Duterte.It is now known as Republic Act 11904, an act providing for the development and promotion of creative industries and appropriating funds for it. Republic Act No. 11904 will strengthen creative industries and provide support to artists, artisans, creative professionals and entrepreneurs, Benitez said on Friday.Benitez, co-principal author and co-sponsor of RA No. 11904, said it mandates the creation of roadmaps to cultivate Filipino talent, creativity, innovation and promote Philippine cultural heritage and artistic traditions to produce...

Negros Occidental has enough COVID-19 vaccines in its cold storage facility.*Negros Occidental has enough vaccines for the expanded coverage of second booster shots against COVID-19, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz assured Friday, July 29.The Department of Health on Wednesday announced that it had expanded the coverage of the second COVID-19 booster to adults at least 50 years old and above and those aged 18 to 49 with existing medical conditions.Negros Occidental has a lot of vaccines available for the   second boosters, Diaz said.In fact there are private firms requesting to donate vaccines but the provincial government needs to use up the stock at hand first, he said.“We cannot accept more than what we need, it will be unfair to those areas that nee...

An earthquake hit area in northern Luzon.*BFP photoBishop Patricio Buzon called on the Christian faithful in the Diocese of Bacolod on Friday, July 29, to help the victims of the magnitude 7 earthquake that jolted Abra and other parts of Northern Luzon on Wednesday.“Let us pray in solidarity with our suffering brothers and sisters and let us lend our support to them who are in dire need,” the bishop said.Buzon called on all parishes and chaplaincies in the Diocese of Bacolod to organize a second collection this Sunday, July 31, for the Alay Kapwa fund to be sent to the affected communities through Caritas-Philippines.“Please channel all your donations   to the Diocesan Social Action Center or the Diocesan Treasurer's Office,” he said in Circular Letter 2022-19 sen...

The Office of Civil Defense has ordered an assessment of the structural integrity of buildings.*Ronnie Baldonado photoCritical facilities in Bacolod City will be inspected to determine their structural integrity following a magnitude-7 earthquake that hit Northern Luzon, Dr. Maria Luisa Laarni Pornan, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) head, said Friday, July 29.The CDRRMO will identify the facilities to be inspected by structural engineers of the City Engineer’s Office, she said.Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 6 director, Jose Roberto Nuñez, has issued Memorandum 63 ordering all disaster offices in Western Visayas to assess the structural integrity of their infrastructures to ensure their safety and resilience.The assessment will be coordinated with ...

The Department of Health (DOH) has detected the first confirmed case of Monkeypox in the Philippines, it announced on Friday, July 29. The person confirmed to have been hit with monkeypox is a 31-year-old Filipino national who arrived from abroad on July 19.The patient had prior travel to countries with documented Monkeypox cases, and was tested and confirmed positive for Monkeypox via Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction orRT-PCR, done at the DOH Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) on July 28, the DOH said.The patient has been discharged well, and is undergoing strict isolation and monitoring at home.The DOH has completed its case investigation and identification of close contacts. Ten closecontacts were recorded, of which, three were fr...