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Capitol photoThe COVID-19 molecular laboratory at the Valladolid District Hospital compound at Barangay Tabao, Valladolid town, Negros Occidental, has finally been granted permission to operate.The Department of Health has issued a License to Operate to the Safeguard DNA Diagnostics Inc. and it can begin operations immediately, Negros Occidental provincial administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) testing laboratory for Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction has been granted a license to operate until the end of the year.Earlier, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine gave the laboratory a pre-licensing proficiency test for SARS-CoV-2 detection rating of 100 percent.The molecular laboratory in southern Negros Occidental is needed, especi...

Moises Padilla LGU photoElementary and high school students in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, will be getting help in learning their modules as the local government unit will provide them tutors.The municipal government recently launched "Hugpong sa Pagtuon Magallon," with an orientation seminar conducted by the Department of Education (DepEd) for the 90 volunteer tutors comprised of daycare workers and licensed teachers.The program, which is the brainchild of Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, hopes to address the literacy problems of the town as well as help in the learning of students, especially those in hinterland barangays who have no internet access and whose parents do not know how to read and write.This is also to address the challenges brought by the distance l...

PDEA-6 photoOperatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-6 Special Enforcement Team arrested a high-value target in a drug bust operation at Purok Cheriza 1 in Barangay 27, Bacolod City Wednesday afternoon, April 21.Nabbed was Elena Quiman, who was considered by PDEA-6 as a high-value target.She yielded around 50 grams of suspected shabu worth P340,000.The suspect will face charges for possession and sale of illegal drugs.*

Former Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez will register to vote in Bacolod City Thursday, April 22, in what could be a move towards his running for mayor of the city in 2022, his political allies said Wednesday.Benitez will transfer his voter registration from Victorias City to Bacolod City, Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said.The implication of the move is that he may run for mayor of Bacolod, Ferrer said.However, Benitez when reached for comment would not divulge his political plans for 2022.Benitez, a billionaire businessman, had served as representative of the third district of Negros occidental for three terms and is Negros Occidental provincial consultant on economic affairs.“Run Albee for mayor, Run Jeffrey for vice mayor” streamers sprouted in...

A 65-year-old woman who played mahjong with friends and attended a birthday party was the sixth Toboso, Negros Occidental, COVID-19 fatality in less than a month, Mayor Richard Jaojoco said Wednesday, April 21.The 65-year-old, who was a known asthmatic, diabetic and hypertensive person, developed a fever, persistent cough and experienced difficulty of breathing. She died Tuesday, April 20, the mayor said.The six Toboso COVID-19 residents died from March 27 to April 20, and the town currently has 79 active cases, Jaojoco said.The market is the common area where most were exposed to the virus, he said.The Toboso municipal hall is currently operating on a skeleton force, Jaojoco said.The other Toboso fatalities are a 50-year-old female with no known comorbities who died on...

Sipalay City Mayor Maria Gina Lizares has tested positive for COVID-19.Lizares told DIGICAST NEGROS she was informed that she tested positive for the virus at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 21.“I have mild symptoms such as runny nose and cough, but I am stable and active as of this time,” she said.“I have been adhering to protocols and been very conscious of my actions, but with our work as government servants, especially the challenges of IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force) work 24/7, I also contracted this virus,” she said.She called on the public to be more careful, cooperative, and serious about the fight against COVID-19.“We work to make everyone safe but as you know more and more of us are also being infected because our bodies also have limitations – we get weak due to ci...

Five hotels and inns in Bacolod City have been designated as isolation facilities for COVID-positive patients, City Administrator Em Ang said Wednesday, April 21.Ang, who is also executive director of the Bacolod Emergency Operations Center (EOC), said the five facilities are Circle Inn, East Square Inn, Saltimboca, Avenue Suites and Westown Hotel.They are accredited by the Department of Health and EOC, and have assigned nurses to monitor patients and police personnel.The designated hotels and inns are for COVID-19 positive persons who do not wish to stay in free quarantine facilities provided by the government.There are currently 96 COVID-19 positive persons in hotel isolation, Dr. Chris Sorongon, EOC deputy for medical data and analysis, said.Those accepted in such fa...

Photo from Eleuterio T. Decena Memorial Hospital FB pageThe Eleuterio T. Decena Memorial Hospital in Barangay Bacuyangan, Hinoba-an, has temporarily suspended its services starting Tuesday, until COVID-19 swab test results of high risk close contact personnel become available, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, April 21.However, the hospital emergency room will still cater to extreme emergency cases, he said.Tested for COVID-19 are three utility workers, a security guard, nurse, ambulance driver and junior consultant at the hospital whose results are still being awaited, Diaz saidThe hospital services will be suspended until swab test results of close contact personnel become available, he said.Diaz said the hospital’s emergency ro...