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Local transport leader Diego Malacad is questioning the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s service contracting scheme.Malacad, secretary-general of United Negros Drivers and Operators Center, said Thursday, May 27, that he has doubts about the “legitimacy of the contract” since the program was supposed to be an assistance to the drivers as part of the national government’s Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).Under the program, drivers and operators of public utility vehicles can enter into transport service contracts with the government to help ease the impact of the pandemic in the transport sector.In the agreement, the duties of LTFRB include monitoring the operation of the unit on a daily basis, providing a service plan, investigating any compla...

The House of Representatives approved a bill co-authored by Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) to promote community-based lifelong learning on second reading Tuesday, May 25.House Bill 9004 consolidated several bills, including House Bill No. 6749, authored by Benitez.Benitez said he believes that "learning is a continuum, happening throughout life and everywhere, beyond the confines of the school and institutional programs."House Bill 9004 provides a national framework to promote lifelong learning.The framework will guide LGUs to develop institutions and infrastructures to become Leaning Cities, including establishing Community Learning Centers to host adult education programs and enable blended or distance learning through digital technologies...

The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) conducted a virtual dialog with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Wednesday, May 26, to improve the coordination and collaboration between the agency and the city mayors in addressing the long-standing issue of illegal drugs in the country.Leading the dialog were LCP national president Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and PDEA director general Wilkins Villanueva, a press release from the Bacolod Public Information Office said.Leonardia told Villanueva, “We are happy that we not only opened the communication lines between us, but this has established communications lines between us. The League is committed to cooperating, collaborating, and working with PDEA.”The Bacolod mayor said the dialog was arranged by Baguio Cit...

The City Legal Office served a cease and desist order Wednesday, May 26, versus business operations in barangays Sum-ag and Pahanocoy in Bacolod City “that endanger/destroy the environment.”Lawyer Reuben Mikhail Sabig, CLO Enforcement Unit head, issued the CDO to Engineer Andre Taculod, who was ordered to halt his operations and or business activities in the two barangays.Initial facts gathered, especially on the basis of the report of Sum-ag Barangay Captain Rodney Carmona, show that Taculod’s activities have involved the cutting of mangroves in a two to three-hectare area, the building of a wharf (mini-port) and development of a beach resort, Sabig said.The report shows that all these are causing destruction and endangering the environment, not to mention the consequential da...

A bill seeking the creation of a P600 million Bacolod City General Hospital was approved by the Senate on second reading Wednesday night, May 26, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said.An amended version of Senate Bill No. 1647 that calls for the establishment of the hospital is expected to be approved on third reading on Monday, May 31, Zubiri, author of the measure, told DIGICAST NEGROS.Zubiri said he hopes to get the bill signed into law before the President’s State of the Nation Address on the last Monday of July.The amendment to the bill states that the amount of P600 million will be appropriated for the construction of the hospital that will be funded under the 2022 General Appropriations Act under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the Department of Hea...

No trees were cut during the road clearing operations in Sitio Campuestohan, Barangay Cabatangan, Talisay City, within the multiple use zone of the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP).This was assured by Bacolod contractor Jerry Sy in a letter to Talisay City Mayor Neil Lizares Tuesday, May 25.Lizares on Monday, May 24, asked Sy to temporarily suspend road clearing work in the area until an environmentally favorable agreement is reached.These activities can result to the destruction of trees in the area, Lizares said, stressing that Talisay City is passionate in the conservation and protection of the environment.Sy, who has a Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) approved Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas (SAPA), in his letter to Lizares said “we understand that pro...

An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) fighter died in an encounter with state troopers at Sitio Bugo, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental Wednesday afternoon, May 26.Maj. Cenon Pancito III, Public Affairs Office chief of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the troops of the 94th Infantry Battalion encountered the rebels while they were conducting combat operations in response to reports of the community about the presence of about seven armed rebels in the area.The firefight ensued for about 10 minutes, he said, adding that the rebels immediately withdrew towards the Cabadiangan creek.No casualty was reported on the government side, he added.Troops also seized a M1 carbine rifle, two .357 caliber pistols, and personal belongings from the encounter site...

City PIO photoA Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office doctor urged Negrenses Wednesday, May 26, not to listen to fake news and get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect themselves and their families from the deadly virus.Dr. Jessica Fama, PHO medical specialist 3, said the majority of the COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental have been locally transmitted.Negros Occidental had 1,323 COVID-19 active cases, 326 deaths and 12,916 recoveries Wednesday, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.The beauty of being vaccinated against COVID-19 is if you are hit by the virus you will not suffer severely from it and will not die, Fama said.She said the public should not listen to fake news against the COVID-19 vaccines being spread on social media, and instead listen ...