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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...

Bacolod Election officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña*Election officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña wants to know if Bacolod’s curfew for minors still exist.If it does she is hoping it can be enforced by authorities to prevent minors from camping out at night to be the first in line to register to vote when the Comelec opens in the morning, Caña said Tuesday, July 17.There is an existing Bacolod City ordinance that set the curfew for minors from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., Councilor Em Ang said.Caña said the registration of voters for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls starts at 8 a.m. and Comelec personnel at 7 a.m.  give out numbers to those wishing to register.“The numbers we issue is to determine the applicants we can cater to for the whole day”, she said, pointing out that th...

The two minors who allegedly yielded suspected shabu at a checkpoint in San Carlos City on Monday, July 18.*San Carlos PNP photoTwo teenagers yielded suspected illegal drugs during a checkpoint at  the Eco TransLink National Highway in  Brgy. Rizal, San Carlos City, Monday, July 18.The minors, aged 15 and 16 years old, both of Barangay 5, were onboard a motorcycle when they were caught by the police after they allegedly violated checkpoint rules.When searched by the authorities, they yielded four sachets of suspected shabu, a coin purse, P21 worth of coins, and two lighters.Both were turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office.*

Ilog town in Negros Occidental has been deescalated to Alert Level 1, the Department of Health announced Tuesday, July 19.Ilog joins Bacolod City and 11 other local government units in Negros Occidental that will remain under Alert Level 1 until July 31.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued a directive to retain the COVID-19 Alert Level System for now.Ilog was deescalated to Alert Level 1 because it is nearing the COVID-19 vaccination thresholds for its target general population and the senior citizen priority group, the DOH said.The 11 other LGUs under Alert Level 1 in Negros Occidental are Cadiz City, Candoni, Talisay City,  Victorias City,  EB Magalona, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Sagay City, San Enrique and Valladolid.The rest of Negros Oc...

Areas with stagnant water are breeding grounds for dengue mosquitoes*The Provincial Health Office is calling on local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental to activate their   dengue task forces.The majority of the LGUs in Negros Occidental still have not formed their task forces that should be headed by the mayor of the locality, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said Tuesday, July 19.The local dengue task forces need to be activated to ensure coordinated and swift responses against the rising dengue cases, he said.Tumimbang said he will call a meeting with LGU and DepEd representatives for dengue updating and to discuss the need to implement the Enhanced 4-S campaign.The Enhanced 4-S campaign stands for Search and destroy mosquito-...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at the launching of the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP).*Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez launched the Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center  (BCGC)   on Tuesday, July 19.A 5-day medical mission sponsored by Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation is also ongoing at the BCGC,  he addedThe BacCHP, which is a priority of the Benitez administration, aims to ensure the delivery of an integrated health care system that includes preventive, promotive, and curative health care coverage by maximizing resources and programs of the government, City Administrator Pacifico Maghari said.Maghari said with the help of the City Health Office, barangay officials and health ...

Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria shows the voter registration figures for Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.*There are 67,843 residents who registered to vote in the December 5 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City from July 14 to 18, Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said Tuesday, July 19.Bacolod City had the highest number of voter registrants among the local government units in Negros Occidental with 6,697 as of Monday.The registration period will end on Saturday, July 23, he said.Ananoria warned those who are registering in barangays where they are not residents that they will face election offense raps, which penalty is up to six years imprisonment.Those who apply to transfer their voter regi...

As Talisay City bids to become a Green, Smart and Resilient City in the next three years, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) is pushing for the creation of a Government-Academe-Industry Council to spearhead a comprehensive plan to address, among others, the large skills gap between the academe and the industry.Benitez pointed to the current situation even in the national level, where educational institutions cannot cope with the skills requirement of industries during a coordination meeting in Talisay City on Tuesday, July 19.As early as 2019, Benitez posed a challenge to Talisay City being the seat of several higher education facilities and its proximity to key government agencies that can provide technical support, to mobilize a convergence to initiate and co...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, July 18, that there is no need to declare a state of calamity to fight the rising dengue cases in Negros Occidental.Lacson said he met with Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, Monday, and he was informed that the dengue cases in the province cannot be considered endemic.The Provincial Health Office (PHO) still has funds for the fight against dengue and local government units are also addressing the problem in their areas, Lacson said.“When you declare a state of calamity it’s really to give you access to more funds. There is still P3 million in the regular budget of PHO specifically for dengue,” he said.The dengue cases in the province are still manageable, Lacson also said.The provincial government will take the lea...