Top Stories

A family of eight tested positive for COVID-19 in Barangay, Sum-ag, Bacolod City, and one member may have been hit with the Delta variant, Dr. Chris Sorongon, Emergency Operations Center deputy for medical data and analysis, said Wednesday, September 1.A female health care worker at a hospital tested positive for COVID-19 and seven members of her family were also found positive for the virus.One member who works at a computer store has a cycle threshold of 15.07 and is suspected to have been hit by the Delta variant, he said.His specimen will be sent to the Philippine Genome Center for testing, Sorongon said.Earlier a family of 20 also tested positive for COVID-19 in Barangay Singcang-Airport, and the specimen of one was sent to the Philippine Genome Center for variant test...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has issued an executive order extending the duration of the General Community Quarantine over Negros Occidental until September 30.Lacson, in Executive Order 21-43 Series of 2021 released Wednesday, September 1, reiterated that entertainment and recreational venues, amusement parks, fairs, playgrounds, kiddie rides, traditional cockfighting and cockpits will remain closed during the duration of GCQ.Curfew in Negros Occidental will remain from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., he added.The governor said more stringent travel protocols for inbound travelers and mass gatherings at 30 percent will remain in place to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant in the province.Mandatory registration of all travelers to Negros Occidental to the Safe, Swift and Smart ...

Photo from Office of Vice GovernorMore Moises Padilla town officials have surrendered to the authorities after they were tagged in the killing of a councilor in 2019.Vice Mayor Adrian Villaflor and Councilor Jimmie Don Plaza went to the office of Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer Wednesday, September 1, after warrants for their arrest were issued early this year. They were among the local officials linked to the killing of Councilor Jolomar Hilario in March 2019.On August 23, Councilor Jose Morito Flores, Quintin Remo barangay captain Felisa Villaflor and her husband, Jonathan, who were also tagged in the murder of Hilario, also surrendered at the town police station, where they are now detained.Four days later, on August 27, Councilor Vincent Garcia, nephew of...

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer on Wednesday, September 1, thanked the United Negros Alliance (UNegA) and Love Negros mayors who have aired their support for him and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.Several mayors have officially aired their support for the re-election bids of Ferrer and Lacson in the 2022 polls.There are many more mayors who are set to issue similar statements of support, Ferrer said.He pointed out that UNegA and Love Negros remain united.On the possibility of former Bacolod Rep. John Orola’s running for governor, Ferrer said he is a family friend and he respects the decision of those who want to run.As of now that is just all talk, he will comment on the matter if Orola files a certificate of candidacy for governor, Ferrer added.*

A fire destroys 60 houses in San Carlos City Tuesday, August 31.*DRRMO photoA fire destroyed 60 houses in Zone 2, Brgy 6 (Parola) of San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, at 11:04 a.m. Tuesday, August 31.They are still determining the number of damaged houses, Joe Recalex Alingasa Jr., San Carlos City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head, said.He said their initial report as of Tuesday evening showed that 60 houses were destroyed affecting 80 families with 320 members. There were no casualties.The fire was placed under control at 12:12 p.m. and put out 12:53 p.m., he said.The cause of the fire is still being determined.The fire victims were temporarily evacuated to the Barangay 6 Gym and later transferred to the Regional Evacuation Center in Barangay 2 of Sa...

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, vowed that justice will be served to the slain drug operative of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).In a video statement released Tuesday, August 31, Eleazar directed the local police to investigate the killing of SSgt Joseph Nepomuceno Jr., who was assigned at BCPO's anti-drug unit.Eleazar said all angles would be checked to determine the real motive behind the killing of Nepomuceno.He said he ordered the BCPO and the Police Regional Office-6 to conduct a thorough investigation to capture the suspects.The PNP chief vowed that justice would be served for the police officer.He also expressed his deep sympathy to the bereaved family of the cop and ensured that all necessary assistance would be provi...

The Department of Health (DOH) raised the COVID-19 risk classification of Bacolod City from low to high on Monday, August 30, Dr. Bea Camille Fillario Natalaray, DOH 6 medical officer III, said in a virtual press conference.It also raised Negros Occidental’s risk classification from low to moderate.The COVID-19 alert levels of Bacolod and Negros Occidental were also raised to three, which means case counts are high or increasing, she said.Areas under Alert Level 3 must ramp-up active case finding, find clusters and super spreader events to explain increase in cases, and conduct active community testing, Natalaray said.She said the Philippine Genome Center during the weekend reported additional persons infected with the Delta, Alpha, Beta and P.3 variants in both areas, whic...

Richard Malihan photoThe United Negros Alliance (UNegA) released the list of its 14 mayoral candidates for the 2022 polls, and reiterated its support for the reelection bid of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer on Tuesday, August 31.Cadiz Mayor Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general, said their party is fielding 11 mayors running for re-election and three new mayoral bets.The three new UNegA mayoral bets are Vice Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. for Sagay City, Madonnah Marañon Jaojoco, wife of Mayor Richard Jaojoco, for Toboso, and Vice Mayor Renato Malabor Jr. for Isabela, Escalante said.The 11 UNegA mayors running for re-election are Marxlen dela Cruz of Salvador Benedicto, Salvador Escalante – Cadiz City, Manuel Escalante III – Manapla, Nichola...

Residents line up at SM City Bacolod Monday, August 30, to register to vote but not all were accomodated.*There was a long line of Bacolod residents at SM City on Monday, August 30, trying to register to vote as the Commission on Elections resumed operations after some of its personnel were hit with COVID-19.Comelec Bacolod stopped operations starting August 16 after three of its personnel tested positive for COVID-19.A Bacolod resident waiting in line with her two daughters said Monday was the third time they tried to register to vote and the third time they were sent away.They were standing in line since 8:15 a.m. only to be told at 9 a.m. to go home as only 400 persons could be accommodated for the day, she said. People lining up, some of whom were there earlier than t...