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Dr. Placeda Lemana*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson designated an officer-in-charge of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) on Thursday, June 16.Dr. Placeda Lemana, PVO Project Development Officer IV, will assume the post of OIC provincial veterinarian starting July 1.She will assume the post of Dr. Renante Decena, PVO chief, who is retiring on June 30.Decena will be designated provincial consultant on food security on July 1.Lemana who has worked in government for 26 years has a master’s degree in public administration.*

Dynamic Builders began clearing the rubble from the demolished government buildings on Monday to make way for the new PAC.*Richard Malihan photoClearing operations for the construction of the new Negros Occidental Provincial Administration Center (PAC) in Bacolod City began on Monday, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Thursday, June 16.The seven-storey building to be built by Dynamic Builders will stretch from Aguinaldo Street to Gastuslao Street, Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa said.It will also have basement parking, he said.Dynamic Builders is clearing the rubble from the demolished government buildings in the area, and may start bringing in equipment next week to start the construction of the PAC, Mapa said.The close to P1 billion PAC will be built in Baco...

Negros Occidental remains the topnotcher in Western Visayas with its dengue cases and deaths having further increased, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday, June 16.The total dengue cases in Western Visayas as of June 4 this year were 2,520 or a 196 percent increase from 2021, with 23 new deaths, the DOH said.Negros Occidental has 984 dengue cases this year or an increase by 456 percent compared to 2021. Its dengue deaths have also risen to six, the DOH added.Bacolod City has 190 cases this year or an increase by 129 percent and four deaths, the DOH said.Antique has 624 dengue cases and four deaths this year, Iloilo province – 391 cases and six deaths, Capiz – 140 cases, Iloilo City - 86 cases and one death, Aklan – 78 case.*

The landslide-hit road in Sitio Tambara, Barangay San Fernando, Talisay City.* Talisay CDRRMO photoMayor Neil Lizares has ordered the immediate rehabilitation of the landslide-hit road in Sitio Tambara, Barangay San Fernando, Talisay City, which situation has worsened because of recent rains.The Negros Occidental provincial government will provide counterpart funds for the repair, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Thursday, June 16.Executive Assistant Spyke Gutierrez, Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer, has submitted an assessment report on the landslide damage to Lizares.The landslide has rendered the road impassable to large vehicles that has affected residents living in the area, where the bamboo farm of the provincial government and so...

Bacolod City and nine Negros Occidental local government units will be under Alert Level 1 until June 30, the Inter-Agency Task Force announced.The nine LGUS are Cadiz City, Candoni, Victorias City, Enrique B. Magalona, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Sagay City, and San Enrique .The rest of Negros Occidental will remain under Alert Level 2.*

Mistaken identity, a family feud and drugs are the three angles being eyed by the police in their investigation into the killing of a Bacolod City businessman on Tuesday, PCapt. Vincent Paul Pendon, Police Station 2 chief, said Wednesday, June 15.Jeffrey Espeleta Keng Seng died after he was shot by a lone gunman on board a motorcycle as he was driving his Nissan Patrol SUV at the busy intersection of BS Aquino Drive and Lacson Street in Bacolod City on Tuesday, Pendon said.The gunman approached the driver’s side of the Nissan Patrol that had stopped at the intersection and shot Keng Seng on the side four times, Pendon said, but they are still waiting for the post mortem report for more details.Their investigation shows that when Keng Seng’s vehicle crashed into a vacant lot at ...

The old Provincial Administration Center in Bacolod City that is up for demolition.*Barbara Mijares photoThe close to P1 billion new Negros Occidental Provincial Administration Center (PAC) will be built at Aguinaldo Street in Bacolod City as originally planned and not in Talisay City, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson announced on Wednesday, June 15.The provincial government offices will no longer be transferred to Talisay City, he said.That is because the winning contractor, Dynamic Builders headed by Ricardo Yanson Jr., is not willing to go through a rebidding of the project for it to be constructed in Talisay City as required by the Government Procurement Policy Board, Lacson said.The seven-storey PAC building that will house provincial government offices will be built behind th...

Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon*Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon of Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, will be joining the 19th Congress as representative of the P3PWD (Komunidad ng Pamilya, Pasyente at Persons with Disabilities) Party-list.The Comelec en banc approved the withdrawal of P3PWD's five initial nominees and her entry as first nominee on Wednesday June 15.“To those who voted for me and P3PWD, thank you,” Guanzon said in a Tweet Wednesday.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said “congratulations, she would be a strong voice for PWDs”.The Comelec in its en banc meeting Wednesday approved the recommendation of its Law Department on June 14 to grant the withdrawal of P3PWD nominees Grace S. Yeneza, Ira Paulo A. P...

Pete Pico and Diego Malacad (l-r) air the driver's grievances at the start of the Drivers' Holiday on Wednesday, June 15.Some jeepney drivers who joined a “Drivers Holiday” in protest against the rising fuel prices expressed disappointment at Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya’s failure to show up for an expected meeting on Wednesday, June 15.Gasataya said there was a mix up in the schedule but he will meet the drivers on Thursday, June 16.About 30 percent of the jeepney drivers have stopped operating, Diego Malacad, United Negros Drivers and Operators Center secretary-general, said.Malacad said they were disappointed that Gasataya did not show up for the meeting despite their having informed his office about it.If Gasataya does not have the time to face them they will seek the...

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) has asked the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) to deny and dismiss the appeals of eight business groups versus the new wage hike in Western Visayas for “utter lack of merit”.The RTWPB, in its consolidated comment to the appeals of the WV business groups dated June 13, said the board did not commit any abuse of discretion when it issued the assailed wage order.“There was no capricious or whimsical exercise of judgement,” it said, adding that there is no sufficient ground or reason to disturb the new wage order.The consolidated comment was signed by Labor Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez, RTWPB VI chairman.The NWPC had directed the RTWPB to comment on the appeals filed by the Western Visayas busine...