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The Bacolod ASF team joined a briefing at the Provincial Veterinary Office on Monday.*Barbara Mijares photoA Joint African Swine Fever Task Force to prevent the entry into Bacolod City and Negros Occidental of live pigs, boar semen, pork and pork products from places affected with ASF has been created.The task force was created by virtue of Joint Executive Order No. 1, Series of 2022, issued by Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on October 14, which is a first between the city and province, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, October 17.Negros Occidental, which is ASF-free, has a P6 billion swine industry that must be protected, Diaz said.To protect the swine industry of Negros Occidental and Bacolod, there...

E. B. Magalona officials, led by Mayor Marvin Malacon, visit Barangay Batea where one resident was found positive for cholera.*A cholera outbreak was declared in three barangays in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, on Monday October 17, after four cases of the water-borne disease, including one death, were reported in the town.The cholera cases in Negros Occidental have hit 12, with two deaths, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said Monday.All cases from September 26 to October 17 were from coastal villages of the third district of Negros Occidental, he said.Aside from the four cases in EB Magalona, Silay City also had five confirmed cholera cases with one death, Talisay City – two and Victorias City – one , Tumimbang said.WATER TESTSTumimbang said of t...

Gov. Roel Degamo on his return to the Negros Oriental Capitol in Dumaguete City*A thanksgiving caravan was held to mark the return of Gov. Roel Degamo to the Negros Oriental Capitol in Dumaguete City on Saturday, October 15.Pryde Henry Teves voluntarily stepped down as governor of Negros Oriental on October 11, to allow a peaceful transfer of leadership to Degamo.The Commission on Elections proclaimed Degamo the duly elected governor of Negros Oriental on October 3, after it declared candidate Ruel Degamo a nuisance.The votes of the nuisance candidate that were credited to Roel Degamo gave him a total of 331,726 votes to defeat Teves who had 301,319.Degamo said, in a Fecebook post on Saturday, that the first few things he will tackle at the beginning of his official ter...

Dolores Rebatado-Ceralbo, (center) receiving her award*Dolores Rebatado-Ceralbo, an organic farming advocate from Brgy. Pandanon, Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, won the top prize in this year’s Regional Search for Outstanding Rural Women at MO2 Westown Hotel, Iloilo City, on Friday, October 14.Ceralbo received a P50,000 cash prize, P50,000 project grant, and a plaque of recognition.Her assisting technician Ma. Elena G. Ortega of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) – Negros Occidental received a P15,000 cash prize, the Department of Agriculture - Western Visayas announced.Ceralbo's passion for sustainable agriculture started with her goal to provide three meals daily for her family. Through her dedication and hard work, Ceralbo was able to establish ...

The opening of “Elemental Majica” on Saturday.* Aeson Baldevia photoRep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said the “Elemental Majica” that opened at the Bacolod Art District in Barangay Mandalagain on Saturday, October 15, shows how alive the arts are in Bacolod and Negros Occidental and he hopes everyone goes to see it.“Elemental Majica” is a collaborative exhibition of over 60 artists who worked ceaselessly for months to transport art lovers to a world of magic through art installations, sculptures, paintings, music, dance and an interactive AI installation from foreign artists, among others.“The art community’s giving this exhibition as an offering for MassKara and their commentary on the contemporary experience shows how alive the arts are in Bacolod and Negros i...

The Feeder 5 fire as shown in this screengrab of a video taken by Sunshine Gonzales*An explosion and fire at the power feeder at the reclamation area in Purok Malipayon, Barangay 35, Bacolod City, plunged Negros and Panay into darkness at 12:57 a.m. Saturday, October 15, 2022.Power was gradually restored throughout Saturday.Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO), in a statement, said there was a leakage in the distribution line insulator of the Reclamation Feeder 5 (RF5) and it was not known why the automatic tripping function of its recloser did not activate.This led to the burning of a power cable and the recloser, CENECO said.CENECO had no estimate of the cost of damage, but a Bureau of Fire Protection report placed it at P30,000.A CENECO investigation of t...

The confirmed cholera cases in Bacolod City have increased to nine, Dr. Carmela Gensoli, Bacolod City health officer, said Sunday, October 16.She said the cases are sporadic with only one per household. This could be caused by lack of proper hygiene, Gensoli said, pointing out that cholera has not affected entire families or communities.There is no clustering of cases in one area, Gensoli assured, which is an indication that the cholera cases are unlikely to have been caused by water sources used by all.The cholera cases were reported in barangays Granada and Sum-ag - two each, and barangays 14, Tangub, Handumanan, Mansilingan and Alijis – one each.The city government will chlorinate open dug wells and deep wells in the barangays as a precaution, Gensoli said.Cholera is...

Evacuees at the Don Florencio Villafranca National High School being informed that they can go home.* Himamaylan CSWDO photoHimamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson on Sunday, October 16, ordered the resumption of classes in barangays Cabadiangan and Carabalan effective Wednesday, October 19.Classes had been suspended in the two barangays on October 6 following armed clashes between government and rebel forces that caused thousands of residents to evacuate.Eight armed clashes in Carabalan also left a top rebel leader and two government soldiers dead.The mayor, in Executive Order 2022-47, said he was declaring the resumption of classes because the Philippine Army Incident Management Team (IMT) on Saturday recommended that except for evacuees residing in sitio Campayas, Medel, S...

NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino*An alleged small town lottery collector was nabbed at Lopez Jaena Street, Barangay 31, Bacolod City, on Thursday, October 13.The suspect was identified as Gilberto Onde, who was arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation-Bacolod for using a fake Identification card.NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said there is only one licensed STL operator in the province, the Super Lucky Beagler Inc.Recovered from the suspect was the alleged bet money. Charges have been filed against him.Meanwhile, cases were filed against Joevel Espora and Liczl Rentoy for alleged STL operations in Sipalay City, and Dinah Katalbas Surigao and Liezel Trembol for reportedly being operators of illegal STL in Binalbagan, which was said to be still...