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Bacolod Rep. Greg GasatayaThe House Committee on Energy is expected to conduct an inquiry on the high power rates and frequent power interruptions in all serviceable areas of the Central Negros Cooperative (CENECO) in November, Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya said on Thursday, October 27.Gasataya said he and Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) co-authored House Resolution 475 seeking the inquiry.“It was filed October 10, it will be referred to the Committee on Energy as soon as our (House) sessions resume,” he said.The inquiry, in aid of legislation, will be scheduled in November according to Rep. Lord Allan Velasco (Marinduque, Lone District) who chairs the Committee on Energy, Gasataya said.He pointed out that the Bacolod City Sangunniang Panlungsod Committee ...

Flooding in San Carlos City on Wednesday.*Kenth Alfred photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson issued a public health advisory Thursday, October 27, amid “an alarming increase in the number of cholera cases in the province”.Adding to this, the recent and succeeding typhoons have caused flooding in several areas of the province which can cause further contamination of our water sources, he said.It is strongly recommended that drinking water sources of doubtful potability should be boiled and cooled before drinking, Lacson stressed.As reported by the Negros Occidental Health Surveillance System there were 17 confirmed cholera cases in Negros Occidental as of October 25, he said.Until this year, there had been zero cases of cholera since last detected in 2018, he a...

Six cities and one town in Negros Occidental are 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance passers, the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Western Visayas announced Thursday, August 27.The passers are Bago, Himamaylan, Sagay, San Carlos, Silay and Talisay cities and Hinoba-an, town.“We laud your efforts in embodying good governance and raising the bar of excellence in public service,” the DILG 6 said in a Facebook post.Western Visayas is the Top Region in Visayas and Mindanao with the highest number of LGU passers for the 2022 SGLG, it said.“On a nationwide scale, we rank first with the highest number of city passers and second in terms of provincial passers,” it said.Negros Occidental and Bacolod City are not on the list of passers.The passers are the prov...

The Bacolod City government will implement temporary road closures and traffic re-routing during the Undas from November 1 to 2.The proposed traffic management plan submitted by Maj. Junji Liba, officer-in-charge of the Bacolod Traffic Authority Office, was approved by the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod during their regular session Wednesday, October 26.Liba said that an appropriate systematic traffic management system aims to reduce traffic congestion during the celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.From 6 a.m. of November 1 to 6 p.m. of November 2, there will be a road closure at the Burgos Public Cemetery along Burgos Street, from Lopez-Jaena to Ylac Streets.The re-routing from 6 a.m. of November 1 to 6 p.m. of November 2 will affect the routes of Home...

The drug recoveries from a buy-bust in Victorias City.*NOCPPO photoMayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez said on Wednesday, October 26, that the proliferation of illegal drugs in Victorias City will not be tolerated, the guilty must be penalized.The mayor issued the statement following the arrest of a couple in Victorias City from whom P1.3 million worth of suspected shabu was recovered during a buy-bust operation at Yapquiña Subdivision in Brgy. 3 on Tuesday, October 25, the police said.Nabbed was Denmark Liscano, 26, who was said to be a high-value individual, and Marijo Acuña, 37.They allegedly sold two plastic sachets of drugs worth P25,000 to a police poseur buyer.Upon their arrest, they yielded 200 grams of shabu worth P1.360 million, an improvised homemade shotgun w...

Cabug residents have sought the intervention of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on their opposition to the construction of the DITO Telecommunity cell tower.*SP photoResidents of Purok Torrecampo, Barangay Cabug, Bacolod City, have sought the intervention and assistance of the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on their petition against the construction of the DITO Telecommunity cell tower in their village.The matter, which was referred to Councilor Jason Villarosa, chair of SP committee on information and communication technology, was tackled during the regular session Wednesday, October 26.Villarosa said that the committee report will be submitted to the City Legal Office for its opinion.In the committee report, Villarosa said the residents’ main and principal concern is th...

A graduate of the University of St. La Salle made it to top 2 in the October Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission announced Wednesday night, October 26.Kate Marie Uy Buencochillo had a rating of 90.67 percent.The PRC said that 1,722 out of 6,665 passed the Certified Public Accountant Licensure Examination given by the Board of Accountancy in Manila, Baguio, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Koronadal, Legazpi, Lucena, Pagadian, Pampanga, Rosales, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga.*

Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District)*Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), who spearheaded a North Central Negros Interlocal Health Zone meeting in Talisay City on Wednesday, October 26, stressed the importance of ensuring that initiatives and interventions against cholera are coordinated.The Provincial Health Office has reported 17 cholera cases in Negros Occidental, 16 of which are from the Third District.Benitez urged everyone at the meeting to work together so that all ways and means taken are effective.He also underscored the need for monthly, instead of quarterly, monitoring of all water refilling stations and restaurants in the Third District, and to re-visit and amend City, Municipal, and Barangay ordinances to coincide with Dep...

Large crowds gathered during the MassKara Festival with many not wearing masks*Ronnie Baldonado photoBacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Wednesday, October 26, that he is okay with the voluntary use of masks indoors because “there is no more clear and present danger”.“For so long there have been no more critical (COVID-19) cases, fresh cases are very manageable,” he said.He said there were large crowds that gathered for political rallies before the May elections and during the MassKara Festival, and there has been no COVID-19 outbreak.Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Tuesday confirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to issue an executive order lifting the mandatory use of face masks indoors, with a few exceptions.Negros Occidental will fol...

Heavy rain brought on by Tropical Depression “Paeng” caused residents in two towns to evacuate on Wednesday, October 26, while Bacolod City and several other local government units in Negros Occidental have suspended classes.The tropical depression will not directly hit Negros Occidental but its trough was triggering the rain over the province, Zeaphard Caelian, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division head, said.The center of “Paeng” was estimated to be 725 km East of Borongan City, Eastern Samar, at 11 p.m. Wednesday.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said because of the heavy rains and flooding he is suspending classes at all levels in both public and private schools in Bacolod City on Thursday, October 27.One family with four individuals had evacuated in Moises Padil...