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Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has proposed that three Negros Occidental provincial government officials and a former Philippine Health Insurance Corp. executive be made consultants of Bacolod City.The request of Benitez to sign the consultancy agreements between the city government and the four was taken up during the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod regular session Wednesday, September 7.The provincial government officials are offering their services on a pro bono basis.The four are:*Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz Il as consultant for Administrative Matters andSystems Review*Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital chief Dr. Mary Ann P. Maestral as consultant for Health and Hospital Concerns*Provincial Investment Officer Lucille Gelvolea as consulta...

The encounter site at Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.*303rd IB photoA suspected New People’s Army (NPA) member died in an encounter with government troopers at Sitio Manlibod, Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Wednesday, September 7.The soldiers of the 62nd Infantry “Unifier” Battalion responded to the information that rebels were sighted in the area, which resulted to the encounter with eight NPA members.The five-minute firefight led to the death of 45-year-old Greg “Jordan” Cantilla, an alleged member of Sentro De Grabidad Platoon, CN1, and a resident of Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City.Recovered from the encounter site were a .45 caliber pistol with SN M08113971 with two magazines loaded with live rounds, a hand grenade, live ammunition f...

The scene of the motorcycle accident.*Talisay PNP photoA driver died after his motorcycle crashed into a tree in Barangay Efigenio Lizares in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, September 6.Killed was Eriegan Giducos, 36. He was on his way home when he met the accident.The victim lost control of his speeding motorcycle and hit the gemilina tree on the side of the road, thetraffic investigator said.Due to the impact, the victim fell on the pavement. He was dead when he arrived at the hospital.*

Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez and Barangay Captain Ricky Mijares (right)*The firm of Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez should halt work on his reclamation project at Purok Bayanihan in Banago, Bacolod City, pending a public hearing and acquisition of permits, Barangay Captain Ricky Mijares said on Wednesday, September 7.But Gonzalez said the work being done by his company, Home Invest, in Purok Bayanihan was for recovery of his eroded private property, and not a reclamation project.The councilor also said he has the necessary permits for such activity from the Department of Environment of Natural Resources (DENR) and two city government offices.In fact he could file charges for usurpation of real property against the barangay captain for backfilling activities on his land in previo...

Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr.*The Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office will conduct a full blown administrative trial against five employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) who have been formally charged for grave misconduct and preventively suspended for 60 days.Division head, Engineer IV Jimlo Garsula, opted for an administrative trial, while Engineers III Ramelo Letran and German Abihay, Engineer 1 Resin Palacios and Maria Luisa Abaño of the OPA submitted their position papers, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said on Wednesday, September 7.The five were formally charged for grave misconduct “for the misuse of a government vehicle”.The five OPA staff made the vehicle and its driver wait beyond office hours while they enga...

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the optional wearing of face masks outdoors is not yet a policy.*Richard Malihan photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he will appeal to senior citizens and immunocompromised persons to continue to wear face masks.The governor was reacting to the announcement of the Department on Health Wednesday, September 7, that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has recommended the voluntary use of face masks outdoors.DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire, at a press briefing, said the optional wearing of face masks is only for low-risk individuals, and in low risk settings.Low risk individuals do not include senior citizens and those who are immunocompromised, ...

The Negros Occidental provincial government will implement the fourth tranche of salary increases for its more than 3,000 regular and casual employees in July 2023 even with the expected drop in its National Tax Allotment, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz assured on Wednesday, September 7.The Capitol also granted the 3rd tranche of salary increases in July this year in compliance with the Salary Standardization Law of 2019, he said.They will implement the salary increases despite the crunch because the economic problems are also shouldered by the provincial government employees, Diaz said.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson will give the provincial government employees what is due to them under the law, as well as additional benefits, he said.Diaz said the “Libreng Sakay” progr...

Farmers will be trained in farm mechanization*Richard Malihan photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government is hiring 190 farmers as job order workers to help the province achieve rice self-sufficiency in about two years.The farmers from various associations will be trained in producing certified seeds, farm mechanization, improved planting, and on post-harvest work to boost rice production, Diaz said.The provincial government’s Shared Services Facility behind the Negros Food Terminal at the North Capitol Road in Bacolod City will also be operational soon, he said.The facility will process products of people’s organizations and non-government organizations who cannot afford to do so to add value and increase their earnings, Diaz said.It will also increase the shelf l...

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri during the Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the alleged sugar fiasco Tuesday, September 6.*Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri on Tuesday, September 6, said sugar industry stakeholders must be allowed to import supplies of the commodity on their own to end suspicions of "tong-pats", or the price-padding scheme.Zubiri made the recommendation as the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, or the Blue Ribbon Committee wrapped up its inquiry on the fiasco involving the import order released by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), a press release from the Senate said.There should be less intervention from the government on importation, and end-users should instead be authorized to source their sugar supply ba...