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Rep.-elect Alfredo Marañon III stakes his oath as incoming representative of the 2nd District before Judge Reginald Fuentebella as his family looks on.*CPG photoRep.-elect Alfredo Marañon III said his priority agenda is to spur the economic growth of the 2nd District of Negros Occidental and of the residents of Cadiz City, Sagay City and the municipality of Manapla via the CaSaMa District Development Alliance (CDDA).The Sagay City mayor made the promise in his speech following his oath taking as the incoming representative of the 2nd District before Judge Reginald Fuentebella at the Taliambong Activity Center in Sagay City on Saturday, June 11.“CaSaMa will pave the way for more businesses to open and more livelihood opportunities for a potential labor force of 300,000 from Saga...

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia at the Independence Day rites at the Bacolod Public Plaza on Sunday, June 12.*Bacolod Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia on Sunday, June 12, said he has no problem with the Truth Commission of mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez because he has nothing to hide, but stressed that he will pursue a manual recount of the May 9 votes because the results are “hard to believe”.Benitez won the race for mayor of Bacolod with 171,893 votes, or by 64,446 more votes than Leonardia who had 107,447 votes.The incoming mayor is creating a Truth Commission to look into past transactions of the Leonardia administration.“Our administration has always tried its best to follow the rules…we follow what is required by law, by the Commission on Audit,” said Leonardia in hi...

Negros Occidental will not follow Cebu, Negrenses are still required to wear face masks and practice physical distancing, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Sunday, June 12.Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has issued a controversial executive order making the wearing of face masks optional in open-spaces and well-ventilated areas in Cebu.“We are not saying do not use face masks. It’s your choice. Those that would wish to breathe in pure oxygen, the more beneficial sea air, then please, let's not bring the wearing of face masks to ridiculous levels,” she said.Lacson said Negros Occidental will continue to follow the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases guidelines on the need to wear face masks, pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet....

The applicants at the Kalayaan Job Fair in Bacolod City on Sunday, June 12.*There were 4,575 job applicants at the "Kalayaan Trabaho, Negosyo, Kabuhayan" job fair at the SM City Event Center in Bacolod City on Sunday, June 12, Mary Agnes Capigon, Department of Labor and Employment Negros Occidental Field Office (DOLE NOFO) head, said.The initial report is 129 were hired on the spot, she added.The huge turnout at the job fair is a clear manifestation that a lot of people need jobs, DOLE Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. said.A lot of people lost their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and several establishments closed, he said.There were 6,182 jobs available during the job fair of which 4,993 were local and 1,189 overseas, Capigon said.Rodriguez also assured tha...

Mayor Evelio Leonardia defended his plan to build a P800 million Bacolod coliseum in Barangay Alijis saying it would be a big tourism and sports magnet for the city.If it were pursued it would be the biggest in Western Visayas, he said at a press conference on Sunday, June 12.“We are looking for that time when the bridge between Panay and Negros is already there. Can you imagine the ease and attraction of Bacolod City,” he said.Leonardia also said he wanted to balance the growth of Bacolod as development came first in the north and now it’s high time for it to go south.He cited how growth has come to the east side of Bacolod with the construction of the Bacolod City Government Center.“So I can see the future that if the Coliseum and Museum are in the south, bigger devel...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson speaks at the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebration held at the Capitol Park and Lagoon in Bacolod City, on Sunday morning, June 12.*Richard Malihan photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson reminded Negrenses that it is the duty of all generations to protect, preserve, and promote freedom and to collectively work for the common good, especially as the province recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.Lacson issued the reminder at the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebration held at the Capitol Park and Lagoon in Bacolod City, on Sunday morning, June 12.The governor, who just returned from Guam where he was invited by the Office of the Philippine Consulate to be the guest of honor at their celebration of Independence Day,...

The Bacolod City officials at the 124th Independence Day celebration*Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia lauded the frontliners, health workers, city and barangay officials, private sector volunteers and the people of Bacolod who worked together to fight and beat COVID-19 at the 124th Philippine Independence Day rites at the Bacolod Public Plaza on Sunday, June 12.“Because we worked as one people, we can look forward to celebrating our Independence Day from COVID-19 soon,” he said.Leonardia stressed the need to honor a new breed of heroes who went through a battlefield not of guns or ammunitions but against an unknown enemy that challenged the whole world’s health system.“Today, the coast may not be very clear yet, as there are still statistics of people being affected by the vir...

The Sagay City officials cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the P156 million Sagay City Public Bus Terminal *The new officials of Sagay City took their oaths and inaugurated the P156 million Sagay City Public Bus Terminal on Saturday, June 11.Mayor-elect Narciso Javelosa, vice mayor-elect Leo Rafael Cueva and the 10 winning councilors – Arthur Christopher Marañon, Perfecto Marañon, Lura Javelosa, Christopher Javelosa, Roldan Gamao, Concepcion Javellana, Rodel delos Reyes, Felisa dela Cruz, Miller Serondo and Sherwin Sy took their oaths at rites at the Taliambong Activity Center in Sagay City.Mayor-elect Narciso Javelosa take his oath*Vice mayor-elect Leo Rafael Cueva take his oath*Javelosa said he will complete the projects started by outgoing Mayor Alfredo Marañon...

Salvador Panelo was the keynote speaker at the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Bacolod City Public Plaza on Sunday, June 12.*A shift towards a federal form of government is a long shot, the masses need to understand how it will benefit them, Former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo said Sunday, June 12.Panelo, who was the keynote speaker at the 124th Philippine Independence Day celebration at the Bacolod City Public Plaza, said he has accepted senator-elect Robin Padilla’s offer to be his consultant for legal and legislative concerns.Padilla, during the campaign, said he will pursue a shift to a federal system of government.“His (Padilla) priority is federalism but definitely for me it's a long shot” because no president, except Pres...