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Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Social Security System for the insurance program of Contract of Service and Job Order personnel of the Negros Occidental provincial government, dubbed KaltaSSS-Collect Program, at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City, on Tuesday, October 25.The SSS was represented by its Executive Vice President for Branch Operations, Voltaire Agas, and Senior Vice President for Visayas Operations Group, Helen Solito.The insurance program will cover the COS and JO personnel, and also allow regular and permanent Capitol employees who are existing SSS members, by private employment and their self-employment, to opt to continue paying their contributions as voluntary members, a Capitol press release said.Lacson said that the COS...

The Cementerio de Saravia, also known as the EB Magalona public cemetery has undergone a facelift in time for All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2.*Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has placed Negros Occidental under “Blue Alert“ for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, also known in the Philippines as Undas, on November 1 and 2.Thousands are expected to travel back to their respective cities and municipalities on November 1 and 2 to pay respects and remember their deceased relatives and friends at cemeteries, he said.In line with this all Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils and Operation Centers are directed to raise their status to “Blue Alert” from October 25 to November 2, and intensify road safety measures and deployment of responders to diffe...

The area where the dead barangay tanod was found.*Sagay PNP photoA barangay tanod in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, was found dead at a sugar plantation in Purok Nangka in Barangay Bulanon on Sunday, October 23.The fatality was identified as Sigfredo Alsado, 58, who was also a farmworker.Police said the victim left his house on Saturday, October 22, to work at the sugarcane plantation, and failed to return home.His body was later discovered by his son.Police said the victim may have succumbed to suffocation coming from the smoke of burnt sugarcane leaves.Police said there were no signs of foul play in his death.*

Human rights groups call for justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings.*Ronnie Baldonado photoHuman rights groups and progressive organizations reiterated their call for an impartial probe and renewed their demand for justice for the victims of state-sponsored killings in Negros under Duterte regime during a Department of Justice Inter-Agency Committee on EJK and Enforced Disappearance case conference at Acacia Hotel in Bacolod City Tuesday, October 25.Pepito Pico, chair of Human Rights Advocates-Negros, said in a statement that there were 109 extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration, with 39 cases coming from Negros Occidental and 70 from Negros Oriental.What the police and the DOJ have done was to merely record the gruesome murders and worst, harassed ...

The drugs recovered from the buy-bust operation at Barangay 1, Bacolod City, on Tuesday.*Police Station 2 photoThe Bacolod police seized P523,000 worth of illegal drugs and arrested an alleged high-value target during a buy-bust at Purok Tangigue, Brgy. 1, Bacolod City, at 3:05 a.m. Tuesday, October 25.Nabbed was Joelibert Sancho, alias Mikmik, 31, of at Purok Tangigue.Confiscated from him were 77 grams of suspected shabu worth P523,000, the P1,000 marked money, a pouch, and P250 in cash.The suspect is now detained at the Police Station 2, facing drug charges.*

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez in Bacolod on Sunday, October 23.*President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to submit a position paper on his proposed joint venture between local government units and renewable energy providers to bring down the cost of power, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, October 25.Lacson said Benitez discussed the proposal with the president during his visit to Negros on Sunday.The president told Benitez to submit the position paper to the Energy Regulatory Commission, and get their comments if it is possible to have a joint venture, Lacson said.“This joint venture will directly deal with the electric cooperatives to reduce electricity cost for consu...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, October 25, that he welcomes the Marcos administration’s decision to make the indoor wearing of face masks voluntary.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, on the other hand, said “I strongly encourage the use of face masks indoors”.The Marcos administration’s decision to make the wearing of face masks indoors voluntary makes the country at par with its neighbors in liberalizing mask mandates, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco said at a press briefing at Malacañan on Tuesday.Frasco 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.“Generally, the direction of the Marcos administration is to lift the remainder of ...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (center) hands an award to lawyer Andrea Si in the presence of GAD Focal Point System Action Officer Marie June Castro, Board Member Rita Gatuslao and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz (l-r).*Richard Malihan photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson led the Appreciation Ceremony for Gender and Development (GAD) Champions and Companions of the 2021 Provincial Gender Journey, at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City, Tuesday morning, October 25.“We all look forward to the day when it is not anymore necessary to fight for change and equality, because humanity has already overcome the biases and predisposition inimical to the rights and well-being of women,” he said.Lacson pointed out that the Global Gender Gap Index ranked g...

The Korean Air Airbus A330 is still stuck at the edge of the MCIA runway* Lapu-lapu City PIO photoThe Cebu-Bacolod-Cebu flights have resumed.The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) partially resumed operations for smaller aircraft on Tuesday, October 25, Rene Aviles, Philippine Airlines (PAL) Bacolod manager, said.Since PAL uses Q400 propeller type airplanes for its Cebu-Bacolod-Cebu flights it was allowed to resume on Tuesday, he said.Cebu Pacific has also resumed its Cebu-Bacolod-Cebu flights.PAL and Cebu Pacific cancelled their Cebu-Bacolod-Cebu flights on Monday after the MCIA was closed.A Korean Air Airbus A330 from Incheon, South Korea, overshot the runway after attempting to land during heavy rains Sunday night prompting the MCIA closure.A MCIA publi...

Fireworks over the Paglaum Stadium in Bacolod City capped the three-week MassKara Festival Sunday night.*Jerancy Antonio Productions photoMayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, October 25, that he believes Bacolod City exceeded its targets for the MassKara Festival as seen by the huge crowds during the three-week celebration that ended Sunday.The mayor, prior to the festival, said that the MassKara celebration was expected to draw 200,000 visitors and generate income of about P5 billion for Bacolod.“I think it’s probably even more,” he said, when asked on Tuesday if his targets were met.Bacolod has set the trend for the rest of the country to get back to normalcy and celebrate, Benitez said.Benitez said with the success of this year’s MassKara, hopefully in 202...