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Crowds are expected to troop to cemeteries early next week.*Ronnie Baldonado photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Friday, October 28, that he is encouraging the public to still wear masks while visiting cemeteries to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to drive safely.All Souls Day and All Saints Day are set on November 1 and 2He also urged residents travelling for leisure during the holidays to be careful, especially now that it is milling season and trucks are parked on the side of the road. “Do not rush anyway you will reach your destination,” Lacson said.Lacson said drinking alcohol and bringing weapons to cemeteries are prohibited.*

Merle Garcia has been appointed permanent head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.*Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he was informed that the Negros Occidental provincial government did not get a 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLC) because at the time that the evaluation was conducted it did not have a permanent Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) head.“It was because of one shortcoming, at the time of the evaluation we only had an OIC head,” Lacson said Friday, October 28.Merle Garcia has since been permanently appointed to the post, Lacson said.Lacson said he asked the evaluators: “What’s important the performance of the department or just to have a regular PSWDO head, but they said that’s really the criteria.”“As a whole th...

Bacolod City had 203 acute gastroenteritis cases from September to October with seven deaths, Dr. Grace Tan, City Health Office Environmental Sanitation Division head, said Friday, October 28.The deaths were in barangays 40, Alijis, Bata, Cabug, Estefania, Mansilingan and Tangub, she said.The age range of those infected by the food and water borne disease were 11 to 80 years old, she added.Gastroenteritis symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain, and fever lack of energy and dehydration may also occur.The number of cholera cases in Bacolod from September to October remained at 13 with no deaths, she added. All 13 patients have recovered, she said.The cholera cases were in barangays Alijis – three, Handumanan, Granada and Sum-ag – two each, Mansilingan,...

COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental are increasing and occupancy at the Cadiz District Hospital is nearing 100 percent, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Friday, October 28.Negros Occidental had 90 active COVID-19 cases on October 1 and on Thursday, October 27, the number had increased to 180.The province also recorded eight COVID-19 deaths from October 1 to 27.The total Covid deaths in the province since the start of pandemic were at 2,024 on October 1 and on October 27 increased to 2,032, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.The Cadiz District Hospital, the Negros Occidental designated facility for COVID-19 cases, has a bed capacity for 87 patients but the number can be increased to 120, he said.Lacson said most of the patients admitted found out that they ...

Sagay City was the Grand Champion for its Community Based Eco-Tourism Enterprise Initiative at the Sagay Marine Reserve First Eco-Tourism Loop.*The Negros Occidental provincial government and four cities were winners in this year's Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) Pearl Awards held in Tagaytay City, Thursday night, October 27.They bagged nine awards, with Sagay and Sipalay cities winning three each, and Silay and San Carlos cities – one each, Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena said.Negros Occidental was the Province Level Grand Winner for Best Tourism Promotion Publication for the book “Halin sa Kusina-Food Stories from the People of Negros Occidental”.Sagay City was the Grand Champion for its Community Based Eco-Tourism Enterprise Initiative ...

Bacolod City and eight other local government units in Negros Occidental announced that classes will remain suspended in their areas on Friday, October 28.Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, in Executive Order No. 51, Series of 2022, said he was cancelling classes at all levels in Bacolod City because the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has forecasted that Tropical Storm “Paeng” will be causing moderate, heavy to intense rains over Western Visayas until Saturday.Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected, especially inareas of Bacolod City that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards, he said.Benitez said he was ensuring that “public safety and public health of the citizenry takes...

The Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas intensifies its information campaign on African swine fever.*DA-6 photoThe Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas and the Bureau of Animal Industry, along with the provincial and local government units are holding a regionwide African Swine Fever (ASF) Information Caravan this week.The IEC teams discussed ASF-related topics such as biosecurity measures, frequently asked questions about ASF, hog insurance, and the national situationer on ASF.The regionwide caravan kicked off with a motorcade in Iloilo City on Monday, October 24, with LGU representatives, ASF Regional Task Force members, private company representatives, backyard hog raisers, and hog raisers associations joined the activity.The information team will a...

Search for the missing fisherman in Hinoba-an still on.*Search and rescue operations for a missing fisherman in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, was still ongoing Thursday, October 27, Hinoba-an Mayor Daph Reliquias said.Maximino Hingaray, 69, of Barangay Alim, left his house to go fishing on Monday, October 24, , and has not returned home.His boat was found by a group of fishermen the following day, October 25.Capt. Ramel Bustamante, Hinoba-an town police chief, said the heavy downpour and current brought by Tropical Storm Paeng has been a challenge for the rescuers.*

The drug recovery from a police buy-bust operation at Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City, Thursday, October 27.*RPDEU 6 photoAn alleged high-value drug suspect was arrested in a police buy-bust operation at Sharina Heights, Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City, on Thursday, October 27, that led to the recovery of P680,000 worth of suspected shabu.Nabbed was 40-year-old Mary Nessa Ong, alias "Tata," and a street sweeper. She was said to be in the list of 10 priority high-value individuals of the Bacolod City police.She sold three sachets of suspected shabu worth P30,000 to a police poseur buyer.Upon arrest, she yielded 100 grams of suspected shabu worth P680,000, a pouch, three cellphones, and P1,100 in cash proceeds.She was previously arrested for drugs in 2016, but was released two ...

Flooding in Bacolod City* Philippine Red Cross photoA landslide in Sipalay City destroyed seven houses, while flooding triggered by Tropical Storm "Paeng" induced rains affected close to 1,000 residents in Bacolod City and four other local government units in Negros Occidental.The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council placed Negros Occidental under Charlie Protocol or the highest Emergency Preparedness and Response Protocol since it is identified as a high risk area on Thursday, October 27.It identified Bacolod City as a “no to very low risk” area.Flooding in Bacolod City Wednesday night affected 61 families with 183 individuals in barangays 39, Singcang, 35, Pahanocoy and Mansilingan, a city government report said.Those who evacuated returned to their...