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Bacolod City Administrator Em Ang yesterday denied that City Health Officer, Dr. Carmela Gensoli, was relieved from her post because of anomalies that are now under investigation.A post on the “Revolutionary Bacolod” Facebook page said aside from the missing COVID-19 test results, Gensoli was also known for the "pricey Vitamin C" issue.Investigators also found out that she included an X-Ray as a requirement for the issuance of Travel Authority/Medical Certification which is not a requirement, the FB post also alleged.The X-rays were allegedly done at a facility owned by Gensoli.Ang, however, said Gensoli was not under investigation for any anomaly, she was just on leave.Dr. Edwin Miraflor is currently the officer-in-charge of the CHO, Ang added.Ang said previous dat...

DPWH photoThe Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is reconstructing the 1.26-kilometer section of the south road at Barangay Talubangi in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.The P50-million road concreting will improve four lanes of the existing road pavement section with upgraded thickness, provision of reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings, and installation of illuminated solar pavement levelled marker studs to facilitate smooth and safe travel especially during night time, a press release from the department said.DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said that the road rehabilitation project, which is implemented by DPWH Negros Occidental 3rd District Engineering Office, has already reached 65 percent accomplishment as of September and is targeted to be completed by J...

City PIO photoAfter swabbing recently the 2nd batch of 371 market vendors and employees, that brings us to a total of 2,383 who cooperated with the COVID surveillance testing in our 3 major public markets (Central, Burgos, and Libertad).Out of this 2,383, only 35 tested positive or a noteworthy low 1.47% positivity rate.This impressive low figure means that our major markets are relatively safe and, as such, may elicit an enhanced trust and confidence from their daily customers.To further ensure the safety and well-being of all those who come and patronize our major markets, the City DRRMO also disinfects these markets regularly every weekend.We undertake these measures to ensure public health safety, revitalize the business prospects of our market vendors and provide m...

Councilor Ursecio Inodeo takes his oath as the new vice mayor of Binalbagan before Municipal Trial Court Judge Leticia Ban-Trigue at the Binalbagan Convention Hall today, November 3.The number one councilor of Binalbagan in Negros Occidental took his oath as the new vice mayor of the town today, November 3.Councilor Ursecio Inodeo took his oath as the new vice mayor of Binalbagan before Municipal Trial Court Judge Leticia Ban-Trigue at the Binalbagan Convention Hall in the presence of his family and other town officials.Vice Mayor Samuel Gavaran, 57, passed away on November 2 after a long lingering illness, Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol said.He was suffering from kidney disease complications, the mayor added.“It’s all so sudden but we need to have a vice mayor,” Mi...

Personnel of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse underwent swab surveillance testing Monday, November 2.*City PIO photoIn addition to the 2,012 market vendors who underwent COVID-19 surveillance testing on October 10 and 13, another batch of 956 Bacolodnons have submitted to the same test on three separate days recently.Executive Assistant Ernie Pineda, head of Quick Response and Extraction Team, said 98 employees of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse, operated by AVM Bernardo Engineering in Barangay Handumanan, have undergone surveillance testing on Monday, November 2.On October 29, Bacolodnons underwent the same test at the Bacolod Respiratory Outpatient (BRO) Center at the BAYS Center. They were market vendors and personnel of the three major public markets and of the Sectoral Conc...

Police Station 5 photoA man was killed while several others were injured after the public utility jeepney they were on hit a truck that was parked along the Granada-Alangilan Road in Barangay Granada, Bacolod City, Monday night, November 2.Police identified the fatality as Lorry Fernandez, the father of the jeepney driver Joshua Araujo.Initial police investigation showed that the jeepney driver, who was said to be under the influence of intoxicating liquor, hit the parked truck along the road.The father, who was in the front seat, succumbed to multiple injuries, while Araujo’s partner and two children, who were riding in the back seat, were also injured.The jeepney driver is now detained at the police station.*

City PIO photoThe city government of San Carlos will establish its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help with its campaign against the coronavirus disease.This came following the visit of Melquiades Feliciano, Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) Deputy Implementer for the Visayas, to the city on October 31.Mayor Renato Gustilo said the EOC will focus on containing the local transmission in the city. He added that people must heed to health and safety protocols set by the government so they will be safe from the virus.Joe Recalex Alingasa, public information officer for COVID-19 in San Carlos City, said that the establishment of the center is one of the inputs made by the city during Feliciano's visit."Coordinated and collaborative responses and resources utilization in s...

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday, November 3, thanked President Rodrigo Dutrete for sending immediate help to Bacolod City when it experienced a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in August and September.The exponential spread of COVID-19 in our midst has since been contained, the mayor told the president in a letter.“The quick and decisive response from you, and from Senator Bong Go, in just a matter of hours after our appeal for help was emailed to your Office went a long way in reassuring our people that, indeed, you had our backs at a critical time in our fight against COVID-19,” Leonardia said.He cited the immediate assessment visit of Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, and the team from the Departmen...

The richest member of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) is Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer with a net worth of P106,538,000.This was shown in the list of the 2019 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of the Negros Occidental SP members that was released yesterday, November 2.The second richest is board member Rita Gatuslao (5th District) with a net worth of P35,790,000, followed by Andrew Montelibano (3rd District) with P24,330,000, Sixto Teofilo Guanzon (2nd District) – P16,386,600, Valentino Miguel Alonso (6th District) – P15,345,596;Ryan Gamboa (Philippine Councilors League) - P10,281,877, Manuel Frederick Ko (3rd District) – P9,751, 292, Samson Mirhan (2nd District) – P8,999,972, Jose Benito Alonso (4th District) – P7,430,000, Araceli Somosa...

A total of 28 of 61 barangays in Bacolod City have been “COVID-free” for the past 14 days, the Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) reported.These barangays are 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31, 34, 36, 37, 38, 41, Felisa, Montevista, and Alangilan, data from the EOC-TF as of Tuesday, November 3, showed.This latest statistics translates into 45.9 percent, or almost half, of Bacolod barangays without COVID-19 transmission for two weeks, City Administrator Em Ang, executive director and deputy for administration and operations of the EOC-TF, said today, November 4.This is an increase compared to the data released October 19, where Bacolod recorded 19 barangays to have been “COVID-free” for a two-week period.“I hope the increa...