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Secretary Salvador Panelo, chief legal counsel of President Rodrigo Duterte, will be the guest of honor and speaker at the 83rd Charter Day of Bacolod City on Friday, June 18.“We are happy that even at this time of the pandemic, Secretary Panelo graciously accepted our invitation to come to Bacolod and celebrate our Charter Day with us. He is an important link in keeping our communication lines with the national government open during these difficult times”, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.Leonardia said this is the third year that the City is celebrating its Charter Day on June 18, after it had celebrated the occasion every October 19 in the past 80 years.Bacolod held its first June 18 Charter Day anniversary celebration in 2019, after President Duterte signed Republic Act 11146 o...

President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday night, June 14, that Bacolod City and Negros Occidental will remain under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) from June 16 to 30, even as COVID-19 cases continued to rise in both areas.Iloilo City, Iloilo province and Negros Oriental will be under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ), Duterte added.The Department of Health on Monday classified Western Visayas as a high risk area for COVID-19 with the average daily attack rate of the virus having increased from 5.67 percent from May 16 to 29, to 7.12 percent from May 30 to June 12.Bacolod City remains a high risk area for COVID-19, the DOH also said.The COVID-19 daily attack rate of Bacolod City increased from 13.95 percent from May 16 to 29, to 20.16 percent from ...

Capitol photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson signed Executive Order 21-30 Monday, June 14, imposing stringent measures to curb the surge in COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental starting Tuesday.Negros Occidental had 152 new COVID-19 cases for a total of 2,379 active cases on Monday, the Department of Health reported.The COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental increased from 15,108 on March 31 to 16,784 on June 13, Lacson said in his EO.The EO sets stricter border controls with Negros Oriental from June 15 to 30. All non-essential travel of persons originating from Negros Oriental will not be allowed into Negros Occidental during that period, the EO said.Regulated entry of Mabinay residents into Kabankalan City, Basay residents into Hinoba-an, and Canlaon City and ...

Dionilo Bogtae photoThe Bago City and Sipalay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices have been closed for disinfection starting Monday, June 14, after their personnel tested positive for COVID-19.Fourteen Sipalay City DRRMO rescuers tested positive for COVID-19, but 17 others have not been hit by the virus and are still working, Sipalay Mayor Maria Gina Lizares said.The Sipalay DDRMO office has been closed for disinfection for two days.Two DDRMO workers in Bago City also tested positive for COVID-19, Mayor Nicholas Yulo said.The Bago DRRMO will be closed for disinfection until Wednesday, June 16.The Ma-ao Volunteer Rescue Unit will take over the DRRMO responsibilities for emergencies only.The Department of the Interior and Local Government Negros Occide...

LTFRB Regional Director Richard Osmeña (right) tries the VTI tap card as Martin Delgra III, LTFRB chairman (left), and Leo Rey Yanson, VTI president and CEO, look on.*CPG photoThe Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS) of Valllacar Transit Inc. will not only improve the convenience of the riding public, it will also help address public health safety, Chairman Martin Delgra III of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, said Monday, June 14.Delgra, who joined Leo Rey Yanson, VTI president and CEO, at the launching of AFCS at the Ceres Liner North Terminal in Brgy. Bata, Bacolod City, said it will help prevent the spread of COVID-19 because there will be no passing of money on the buses.The VTI pilot route for the AFCS on an initial 10 buses will be from Baco...

The barangay vaccination rollout of Bacolod City resumed Monday, June 14, and will run until June 23, with 26 vaccination centers in identified barangays and clustered areas.These barangay vaccination centers are supervised by the Emergency Operations Center-Task Force (EOC-TF) and the COVID-19 Vaccination Council (CoVaC), a press release from the Bacolod Public Information Office said.Mayor Evelio Leonardia, who chairs both the EOC-TF and CoVac, said that public confidence in the vaccine is getting stronger, as evidenced by the increase in the number of people who have already been inoculated.On Monday, the vaccination rollout opened in barangays Granada and Handumanan, and ABES Cluster. The ABES Cluster catered to residents of San Juan Street that encompasses several barangay...

PDEA-6 photoTwo drug dens were dismantled and 14 drug personalities were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in Barangay 5, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, June 13.Arrested were suspected drug maintainer Jemar Flores, Gilbert Cabaluna, Restituto Descetiar, Reynald Rabaca, Rodito Mayagma and Raymund Rabaca.The suspects yielded 12 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 15 grams and worth P102,000, drug paraphernalia, and the buy-bust money, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Region 6 said.In a separate buy-bust operation, eight drug suspects were arrested in the same village.Nabbed were suspected drug maintainer Joselito Gumilao, Jonrey Cabillon, JR Elladora, Gilbert Ullegi, Micheal Bacus, Joerge Eñeres, Efren Palaubsanon and Eugene Malinao.Suspec...

EB Magalona PNP photoBarangay San Isidro, EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, June 13.The EB Magalona police’s anti-illegal gambling operation led to the arrest of the suspects, who were caught engaging in illegal cockfighting.Recovered from the suspects were 14 fighting cocks, including six dead ones, P2,000 in cash, one gaff, a betting list, and two scissors.The suspects are under the custody of the EB Magalona police and will face charges for violation of Presidential Decree (PD) 449 or the Cockfighting Law.*