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The Western Visayas Regional-Inter Agency Task Force has approved the suspension of the arrival of locally stranded individuals (LSIs) in Cadiz City and the municipalities of Manapla and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental, Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division chief, said today, November 2.The suspension of LSI arrivals in Cadiz City will be from November 2 to 6, Manapla – November 5 to 18, and Binalbagan – November 2 to 16, the RIATF said in Resolution No. 56, Series of 2020.The Cadiz City government informed the RIATF of the congestion and non-availability of their quarantine facility located at Barangay Tinampa-an, Cadiz City, due to the huge influx of LSIs.It asked for a moratorium on the entry of LSIs from November 2 to 6 to decongest, disi...

Binalbagan, Negros Occidental Vice Mayor Samuel Gavaran, 57, passed away at about 3 a.m. today, November 2.He succumbed to a lingering illness at his residence in Binalbagan, Mayor Alejandro Mirasol said.Gavaran had been ill since last year, he was suffering from kidney disease complications, the mayor said.The mayor said the Philippine flag in Binalbagan is flying at half staff in honor of Gavaran.“He was a friend, an ally, you name it…he was a good man,” the mayor said.His remains will lie in state at his residence in Binalbagan.Gavaran will be succeeded as vice mayor by the town’s number one councilor, Ursecio Inodeo, a teacher at the Binalbagan Catholic College.*

The local production of sugar in the country has dramatically increased to 66.31 percent in the third week of October compared to the same period last year, the Sugar Regulatory Administration said.In the latest supply and demand situation report of SRA, from September 1 to October 18, 2020, the total production of raw sugar was 97,845 metric tons (MT) compared to the same period in the previous year with 58,834 MT.This is equivalent to 1.956 million 50-kilo bags this year and 1.176 million last year.The demand for raw sugar has also increased by 51.21 percent, from 114,319 MT to 172,859 MT during the period, SRA said.The sugar crop year starts every September and ends in August.Moreover, the production of refined sugar fell by 79.44 percent at 2,963 MT from 14,410 MT i...

The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) management will limit its admission of patients as it reached the full capacity of its allocated beds.Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH chief, announced on Monday, November 2, that the hospital will implement temporary changes following this development.He said that the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Department of Pediatrics will limit its admission to extreme emergency cases only until further notice.The Operating Room Complex at the West Tower Building will also limit its surgical operations to extreme emergency cases until further notice, he added.The hospital management is requesting the public to contact their hotline first before they transport or transfer ...

City PIO file photoThe business sector in Bacolod City is optimistic that the economy of Western Visayas is on its way to recovery after inter-island travel has resumed over the weekend.Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, said that the “signals are good,” as he pointed out that the volume of passengers and cargoes on Saturday, October 31, during the initial trips of fastcrafts, is “encouraging.”Fastcrafts plying between Bacolod and Iloilo routes have suspended its operations for five months following the travel restrictions in the two localities.Traders in the region have committed to restarting their trading activities, Carbon said.Bacolod are ready to accept visitors and tourists and that a new hotel by SM City will op...

After three months of prohibiting non-essential and tourism-related travel to Sipalay City, its local government has lifted the restrictions to open up its economic activities.With the decrease in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province, the local Inter-Agency Task Force has deemed it necessary to ease the restrictions and lift the moratorium on non-essential travel for the economic recovery of the city, Mayor Ma. Gina Lizares said in Executive Order 2020-048.The lifting of the moratorium on tourism-related travel to Sipalay will start on November 6.However, everyone who is entering and leaving Sipalay must at least comply with the travel form and additional requirements depending on the purpose of travel and the duration of stay in the city, she said.Those w...

Negros Occidental disaster teams remain on alert for flash floods and landslides that may be brought on by heavy rains with two weather disturbances still within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division chief, said tonight, November 1.“We are prepared for anything,” he said.He said while Negros is not in the path of Typhoon “Rolly” and Tropical Storm “Siony,” the weather disturbances could trigger heavy rains.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration at 5 p.m. Sunday, November 1, reported that “Rolly” was heading toward the southern coast of Batangas.“Rolly” is forecast to exit the mainland Luzon landmass and emerge over the West Philippine Sea Sunday night, ...

City PIO file photoMayor Evelio Leonardia, in an executive order extending the General Community Quarantine in Bacolod City until November 30, said curfew will remain from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and several businesses will still not be allowed to operate.Religious gatherings will be allowed at 30 percent of the seating capacity of the venue and limited to the conduct of religious worship or service, Leonardia also said in Executive Order No. 70, Series of 2020, issued Friday, October 30.Leonardia said he appealed to the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) for Bacolod to be categorized under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) starting November 1.However, the NIATF opted to keep Bacolod under its current GCQ status to ensure the momentum of the city’s gains in the ...

City PIO photosInter-Agency Task Force-Visayas chief implementer Melquiades “Mel” Feliciano and his wife, Mia Fe, have been named the “First Adopted Couple” of Bacolod City in its 82 years of cityhood.Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, in Executive Order No. 69, recognized the “committed effort” and “tireless service” of the Feliciano couple in containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.“The people of Bacolod would like to express their eternal gratitude to the Feliciano couple. As the crisis begets heroes, we have found ours in retired Maj. Gen. Mel and Mia Feliciano,” Leonardia said in his EO.Feliciano was among the members of the team deployed by President Rodrigo Duterte to Bacolod in August during the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in the city.During h...

The Konsyumer-Negros extends its gratitude to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for its advisory mandating no disconnections until the end of year 2020.However, Konsyumer-Negros urges that this mandate is not enough as it only covers consumers who consume less than 200 kilowatt hours (kWh).The economic impact of bill shock is felt by all consumers, be it from the working class or not. No extension of this mandate will solve the already damaging impact of this bill shock; Konsyumer-Negros emphasizes that this mandated relief is temporary, not until the ERC can resolve the underlying issues that allowed bill shock to materialize.Just and fair reform in the energy sector will only be possible if there will be a moratorium on payments for the bill shock period until all bills ...