Top Stories

A total of 19 barangays in Bacolod City have been COVID-free for the past 14 days, the locality's Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF) reported on Monday.These barangays are 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29, 31, 33, 36, 38, and Punta Taytay, data from the EOC-TF showed.“These barangays should maintain their status and the other barangays should also try to catch up with these COVID-free barangays,” said Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who heads the EOC-TF.According to the mayor, the COVID-fre’ status of 19 out of 61 Bacolod barangays is “something to celebrate” considering the efforts of the city government in containing the pandemic for several months now.*

Entry of untruthful data in the Case Investigation Form (CIF), which is required for swab tests, is prohibited under the law, said Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF)- Visayas chief implementer Mel Feliciano, who oversees the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC-TF).This after a man, who tested positive for COVID-19 on October 14, was found to have entered false information in the CIF.The man declared in the CIF that his current address is Bacolod City despite presently residing in Silay City, Negros Occidental.“It took over a day for the contact tracers to locate the index but due to our collaboration with the Provincial Health Emergency Operations Center and other cities and municipalities, the truth came out,” said EOC deputy for medical Dr. Chris Sorongon....

Two business establishments, Watson's Pharmacy and Chefs and Bakers, have opened their branches in Cadiz City.Watson's Pharmacy, the flagship health and beauty care brand of the Hong Kong-based A.S. Watson Group which is majority owned by C.K. Hutchison Holdings, formally opened its doors to Cadiznons after the blessing and ribbon-cutting ceremonies held Tuesday, Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. said.Escalante said the Chefs and Bakers, a one-stop shop and go-to-store for baking, also inaugurated its branch in Cadiz City late last week.Chefs and Bakers is a wholesale and retail specialty store selling imported and local baking and cooking products and ingredients as well as confectionary, packaging, party supplies, bakewares and cookwares, among others."These are indications o...

Twenty-one local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental have opened up their localities to leisure travel for their residents starting Monday, October 19.These are the cities of Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, Sagay, San Carlos, and Talisay, and the municipalities of Binalbagan, Calatrava, Candoni, Cauayan, Hinigaran, Isabela, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Murcia, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, Salvador Benedicto, and Valladolid.On the other hand, 10 localities have remained closed for tourists and leisure travel. These are the cities of Kabankalan, La Carlota, Silay, Sipalay, and Victorias, and the municipalities of EB Magalona, Hinobaan, Ilog, San Enrique, and Toboso.Provincial Tourism Officer Jennylind Cordero said that resorts and other accommodation facilities...

PDEA photoA high-value target was arrested by authorities in a drug bust on Sunday, October 18, at Barangay 5 in San Carlos City.Nabbed was Joemarie "Tata Babor" Babor, who was listed as the Top 10 Provincial Targetlist of the police.The operation, conducted by the operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the San Carlos City Police station, also led to the confiscation of suspected shabu weighing around 10 grams with an estimated value of P68,000.The suspect, who was under the custody of the police, will face drug charges.*

The Department of Health urged the public to remain socially connected to avoid "quarantine fatigue" amid the coronavirus pandemic.“Ito nga po iyong aming laging pinapaalala ‘no, unang-una, please stay connected (We would like to remind everyone, first of all, please stay connected),” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during a Laging Handa public briefing on Saturday aired over state-run PTV4.Vergeire said because of the quarantine status that is imposed in different parts of the country, people experience social withdrawal.She said calling friends and loved ones will help, as well as finding a hobby or other recreational activity.“After so many months of being quarantined, people feel restless; people feel anxious; they’re irritable. Mayroon po silang mga with...

PNA file photoAfter the government lifted restrictions of non-essential outbound travel beginning Oct. 21, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said they are now studying policies easing inbound travel restrictions amid the prevailing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.Nograles, the co-chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), said the government will be reviewing non-essential inbound travel policies because they recognize that there are foreign citizens who also want to spend the holidays with their loved ones and fiancées in the Philippines."Pinag-aaralan pa ‘yan, yung sa inbound naman (It’s still being studied, lifting restrictions for inbound travel),” he said in a Facebook live on Saturday night.Currently...

Bacolod PIO photoThe rehabilitation of Lupit Bridge near the San Antonio Abad Church was completed recently.Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that while most of the city’s resources and attention are now focused on the fight against COVID-19, the city government has also to continue providing better roads and bridges for its people because public works like these are economic stimulants.Since this bridge is part of Lacson Street - one of the busiest streets in the city - its widening and rehab will improve the flow of traffic on that street up to Lacson Extension to the south where another four-lane bridge is soon to open, the mayor added.Acting City Engineer Aladino Agbones said the total project cost for the two wings of the bridge is P33.5 million.The project...

Richard Malihan photoWe are deeply humbled by the recognition of the Senate of the Philippines to the contributions made by my late father, Gov. Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr., as a public servant for more than five decades.The passage of Senate Bill No. 544 , authored by Majority Floorleader Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon and co-authored by all senators present in a virtual session early this week, was a source of comfort for us, especially for our mother, in our time of grief.The Senate's homage, taking into account his works advancing the protection of the 32,000-hectare Sagay Marine Reef and the Visayan Sea, and other environmental causes as well as advocacies on organic farming, sustainable agri-aqua development, coal-free Negros, livelihood opportunities for the marginalized, an...

The ban on tourism-related and non-essential travel to Sipalay City has been extended until October 31.Mayor Maria Gina Lizares, who signed the executive order on October 13, said that the order was in response to the City Tourism Council's unanimous decision of not catering to tourists from outside Sipalay for the rest of October.As of October 6, Sipalay City has two barangays affected by local transmission, and that the inter-agency task force deemed that opening the city for tourists and non-essential travelers will contribute to the amount of Covid-19 positive cases, the order said.Lizares said that only essential travel will be allowed in Sipalay. These are medical-related transactions, business transactions to open establishments, government-related transactions, delivery...