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Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena*The tourism industry in Negros Occidental, which had slowed down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, is picking up again, Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena said Wednesday, July 20.Negros Occidental now has a lot of emerging tourism destinations, she said, but she assured that COVID-19 health protocols are being observed to prevent a surge in the virus.Negros Occidental’s domestic and foreign overnight tourists hit 127,494, partial data from January to June shows.The report only covers figures from 13 local government units in Negros Occidental, the number of overnight tourists will be higher when the 18 other LGUs submit their data, Decena said.Same day tourists in Negros Occidental hit 445,118, reports from 10 cities ...

Councilor Al Victor Espino authored the SP resolution in support of Bacolod's redistricting.*The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod approved a resolution recommending the redistricting of the city into two legislative districts during its regular session on Wednesday, July 20.Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya filed House Bill 297 seeking the creation of a second congressional district for Bacolod City on June 30.Gasataya had also filed the same bill in the 17th and 18th Congress but it did not prosper because the Bacolod SP did not pass a resolution supporting the measure.Bacolod Councilor Al Victor Espino, who authored the SP resolution in support of Gasataya’s bill on Wednesday, said reapportionment of Bacolod is proper, legal and feasible because of the increase in the city’s popul...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson issued  executive orders on Wednesday, July 20,  placing  12  local government units in Negros Occidental  under COVID-19  Alert Level 1 and setting the  guidelines for migrant sugarcane workers (MSWs) travelling to the province for Crop Year 2022-2023.Executive Order No. 22-34, Series of 2022, places the cities of Sagay, Victorias, La Carlota, Cadiz, and Talisay along with the municipalities of Ilog, EB Magalona, Pulupadan, San Enrique, Candoni, Pontevedra, and Valladolid under Alert Level 1 and the rest of Negros Occidental  under, Alert Level 2 until July 31.Executive Order No. 22-35 Series of 2022  states that with  the  expected influx of MSWs entering the Negros Occidental there is a need to issue...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered  the reshuffling  of heads of hospitals and  chief nurses in  provincial government-run hospitals in Negros Occidental effective immediately, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, July 20.              The heads of hospitals  and their assignments are:            *Dr. Mary Ann  Maestral  - Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City;            *Dr. Claudelia Josefa  Pabillo - Cadiz District Hospital in  Cadiz City;              ...

Negros Occidental’s dengue cases are now 823 percent higher than those recorded in the province  last year.The Department of Health reported Wednesday, July 20, that the province had 157 new dengue cases from July 3 to 9 bringing its total to 2,096 cases and ten deaths for this year.Negros Occidental remains the topnotcher in Western Visayas having more than one third of the dengue cases in the entire region.Western Visayas has 5,837 dengue cases and 34 deaths this year or an increase by 423 percent from last year, the DOH said.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is meeting with all city and town health officers in Negros Occidental on Friday to discuss preparations they have taken to prevent the rise in dengue cases.“Hopefully on Friday I can get a better picture as ...

The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. (CONFED) on Wednesday, July 20, welcomed the plan of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to explore government-to-government fertilizer purchase with, at least, five countries to cushion the impact of the commodity's continued prohibitive cost that may have direct implications to the Philippines' food security situation."We are happy to hear this development. It's the same proposal we made as early as August 2021 after fertilizer cost skyrocketed and more than doubled over the year-ago level," CONFED national president Raymond V. Montinola said in reaction to Marcos' plan which he announced in a meeting Monday with Department of Agriculture officials.The President has temporarily assumed the post of agriculture secretary."Finall...

Anthony Gerard Suatengco and Miguel Antonio Peña take their oaths before Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (l-r)*Vice Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña took his oath of office as mayor of Pulupandan town before Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Capitol in Bacolod City on  Wednesday morning, July 20.Peña replaced his cousin Mayor Lorenzo Suatengco who resigned citing health reasons that will affect his capacity to carry out his responsibilities.Lorenzo Suatengco’s cousin, Councilor Anthony Gerard Suatengco, also took his oath of office as vice mayor of Pulupandan before Lacson on Wednesday.Peña, a three-term mayor, ran for vice mayor of Pulupandan in the May polls, while his uncle Antonio Suatengco ran for mayor.However, Antonio Suatengco, 72, who was unopposed died ...

Murcia ViceMayor Johnny Reosura and Mayor Gerry Rojas (1st and 2nd from left, front row) with Namegata City Deputy Mayor Hideaki Nagamine and other city officials during their meeting at the Nagemoto City Hall in Japan on July 12. Also in photo are Tricastle President Leah Tinsay, Marucon Chairman Kazuo Arai, Chinese counterpart Wang Yu, Managing Director Toshiki Koyama, and Chinese-Japan Agricultural Cooperative Chairman Ryu Bin and Mr. Ma.*On top of the construction interns being sent to Japan by Tricastle International and the municipality of Murcia, the group is exploring the possibility of sending female agricultural trainees to Japan.This was disclosed by Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas and Vice Mayor Johnny Reosura after they returned from their trip to Namegata City, Japan, on&nbs...

Task Force Botagoy conducts inspections on Tuesday, July 19.*TF Botagoy photoTask Force Botagoy led by Dra. Ma. Agueda Tinidad Dela Torre visited several slaughterhouses and storage facilities in Bacolod City on Tuesday, July 19.The Task Force was recently reorganized by Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez through Executive Order No. 007 signed on July 13.Inspected by the task force Tuesday was Jentec Storage Inc. in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.Jentec is the warehouse of products owned by CDO Foodspher, Inc., Virginia Food Inc. and Jollibee.De la Torre said they conduct regular inspections is to ensure that Jentec's storage facility has proper handling and storage of products.Task Force Botagoy is comprised of personnel from the City Mayor’s Office, City Veterinary O...

San Carlos City’s Sipaway Island is the most visited tourist site in Western Visayas in 2021.*San Carlos Tourism Office photoSipaway Island in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, is the top tourist site in Western Visayas based on the number of its visitors in 2021.This was presented by Tim Ticar, Senior Tourism Operations Officer of the Department of Tourism Region 6, during the 3rd Quarter Negros Occidental Tourism Officer’s meeting on Monday, July 18, at the Social Hall of  Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.Based on the data, six of the top 10 tourist attractions in the region are in Negros Occidental.Sipaway Island, known for its pristine white sand beaches, was visited by 75,685 individuals last year, followed by  the Bantug Lake Ranch in Bacolod City with 5...