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Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (right) discuss their joint response to monkeypox.*Richard Malihan photoBacolod City and Negros Occidental will come up with a unified screening and detection plan against monkeypox, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Wednesday, August 24.Benitez and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson discussed their joint response on Wednesday following the detection of one monkeypox case in Iloilo province.The mayor and the governor told DIGICAST NEGROS on Tuesday that the detection of a monkeypox case in Iloilo will not necessitate the closing of borders.“There is no need to close borders, we will just heighten our screening at ports of entry,” Benitez said.They will put up thermal scanners at all ports of entry as one of ...

The Central Negros Electric Cooperative said it is closely coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the restoration of power following the series of brownouts in the past few days.Ervin Stan Leo Ticar, CENECO acting general manager, in as statement Tuesday, August 23, said that the intermittent power interruptions that occurred over the weekend and on Monday, August 22, were due to the overloading of the NGCP Negros-Cebu submarine cable triggering the opening of Bacolod-Silay 69kV protection device.The Bacolod-Silay 69kV line covers the Talisay and Silay feeders.“CENECO would like to reiterate that situations that cause unscheduled power interruptions are unforeseen by the electric cooperatives (ECs), such as CENECO. These circumstances are ...

Monkeypox is transmitted to humans through close contact with an infected person or animal, or with material contaminated with the virus.*WHO photoThere is no need to close borders with the detection of one monkeypox case in neighboring Iloilo province, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez said Tuesday, August 23.Lacson said borders will not be closed but Negros Occidental residents should continue to observe COVID-19 health protocols to also protect themselves against monkeypox.Dr. Adriano Suba-an, Department of Health 6 regional director, confirmed on Tuesday that the fourth monkeypox case detected in the country involves a 25-year-old male from Iloilo province who worked in Iloilo City.The Iloilo resident had no documented history ...

The scene of the accident in Barangay San Isidro, Toboso, Negros Occidental.*Toboso DRRMO photoA woman was killed while her partner sustained injuries after they figured in an accident at Barangay San Isidro, Toboso, Negros Occidental, on Monday, August 22.Killed was Julieta Librado, 24, while her live-in partner, Reymode Averena, 27, was injured.Police said they were onboard a motorcycle, that was driven by Averena, when it hit a stone, causing the driver to lose control and their falling on the pavement.The woman succumbed to head injuries and died on the spot. She was not wearing a helmet.Police said that the families of the victims have reached a settlement.*

This photo of a Coca-Cola plant in Naga has been circulating on social media.*The Sugar Regulatory Administration acknowledges that there is a shortage in refined sugar being used by the beverage industry, Acting SRA Administrator David Alba said Tuesday, August 23.“We are currently consolidating the data as to how much is really needed so we can recommend the necessary actions we need to take to the President,” he said.However, while they know that Coca-Cola is in a critical place in its sugar needs, Pepsi and RC Cola still have available supply as far as SRA records show, he added.“The Sugar Board just took office and we ask our industry partners to indulge us with some time so we can address this issue based on established facts,” he said.The Sugar Board was convened...

A high-value drug individual was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation at Brgy. 2, Silay City, Negros Occidental Monday, August 22.*Silay PNP photoA reported high-value drug suspect was arrested in a buy-bust operation at Purok Mainuswagon, Brgy. 2, Silay City, Negros Occidental Monday, August 22.Nabbed was 41-year-old Dax Gonzales, who was tagged by the police as a high-value individual.He was arrested after he sold P600 worth of suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer.Recovered from his possession were 18 grams of suspected shabu worth P122,400 and other non-drug items.He is now in custody of the Silay police and facing drug charges.*

Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria*If Congress fails to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on December 5, the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) will be from October 6 to 13, Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said Tuesday, August 23.Resolution 10831 sets the Calendar of Activities for the BSKE polls, he said.Aspirants for the BSKE polls only have six days to file their COCs at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) in their city or municipality.The election period for the December 5 polls will start from October 6 up to December 12, wherein a gun ban will be imposed, Ananoria said.The campaign period will be from November 25 to December 3, and the voting period will be...

The dengue deaths in Negros Occidental this year have risen to 22, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said on Tuesday, August 23.Negros Occidental also recorded 3,574 dengue cases as of August 13, or an increase by 131.01 percent compared to the same period last year, he said.Tumimbang said they are validating the deaths if indeed all were caused by dengue.The dengue cases in Negros Occidental have not reached alert level or epidemic threshold status yet, he said.The Department of Health (DOH), on the other hand, has recorded 3.648 dengue cases in Negros Occidental as of August 13.Bacolod City had 620 dengue cases and eight deaths as of August 13, the DOH said.The dengue cases in Western Visayas have hit 10,272, with 59 deaths, the DOH added.That i...

Representatives Greg Gasataya, Gerardo Valmayor, Alfredo Marañon III, Francisco Benitez, Juliet Ma. Ferrer and Mercedes Alvarez (l-r) of Negros Occidental are among the authors of the bills seeking the creation of the NIR.*The House Committee on Local Government held initial deliberations on three bills that aim to create the Negros Island Region on Tuesday morning, August 23, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said.Benitez and nine other Negros representatives authored House Bill No. 1446 seeking the creation of Region VI- B or the expanded NIR , which includes Negros Occidental and Oriental, and Siquijor.A Technical Working Group was created to consolidate the bills and address questions, co-headed by Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) and Re...