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San Carlos PIO photoSan Carlos Bioenergy Inc. (SCBI) was granted permission today, February 23, to resume operations for two days to finish processing the sugarcane stock at its plant, after which it will have to stop and put pollution control measures in place, San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo said.The SCBI, which started operations in 2008, produces 42 million liters of bioethanol per annum and 8 megawatts of electricity from sugarcane, the San Carlos City Environment Management Office said.The SCBI plant temporarily shut down Friday, February 19, on orders of Gustilo who warned that he would recommend an Environmental Management Bureau cease-and-desist order should it fail to address its pollution violations.Gustilo said SCBI committed several environmental violation...

Councilor Al Victor Espino is proposing that the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod conduct a public hearing on the opposition of Purok Himaya, Barangay Alijis residents to the construction of a DITO Telecommunity Corp. (DTC) cell site in their community.Espino, chairman of the SP Committee on Information, Communication and Technology, said today, February 23, that he held a purok consultation in Purok Himaya on Monday and residents aired their concern about perceived radiation from the DTC cell site and the structural integrity of its tower.The councilor said while there is a joint memorandum circular from national government agencies that prevents barangay, towns and city councils from conducting public consultations on the construction of cell sites, the city has a local ordinance t...

San Carlos PIO photoSan Carlos City in Negros Occidental resumed enforcing border control measures with Vallehermoso and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental today, February 23.However, San Carlos Mayor Renato Gustilo said residents from Vallemermoso and Canlaon City will be allowed into his city for 12-hour visits a day provided they have health certificates.Those crossing the border will have to secure health certificates from their local health offices that will be good for seven days at a time, Gustilo said.Those who exceed the 12-hour period will be quarantined, Gustilo said.The 12-hour visit rule is patterned after the Kabankalan-Mabinay model, he said.Canlaon City, on the other hand, has opened its border to 24-hour visits from San Carlos residents, Gustilo said....

BCPO photoA 55-year-old man, who was suspected to be a member of a robbery group, was gunned down inside his house at Barangay Cabug in Bacolod City Monday night, February 22.Police identified the fatality as Eduardo Cataraja, who succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds.He was allegedly part of the Epogon robbery group, that was said to be responsible for a string of robberies in Negros Occidental.Based on the accounts of the witnesses, three unidentified armed men were seen going to his house, then they heard several gunshots.The police said eight fired cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol, a cartridge of a 5.56mm pistol, P1,521 cash, two cellphones, and other belongings were recovered from the scene of the crime.*

City DRRMO photoA 10-year-old boy, who went swimming with his six cousins and friends, drowned at Ginsang-an River in Barangay Estefania, Bacolod City, Monday afternoon, February 23.Police said the victim was from Barangay Granada.The victim struggled to stay afloat when he reached the deep portion of the river, a police report said.The boy's companions, who were all minors, sought help and his body was found hours later.The victim did not know how to swim, the police said.*

The Bacolod City government has made an initial payment of P31 million to AstraZeneca for the 650,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines it contracted with the pharmaceutical company, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said today, February 23.“The initial payment practically consummates our contract for these critical vaccine supplies. We wanted to close the agreement as early as we could and that is why we made the payment ahead of the February 24 deadline,” Leonardia said in a press release from the Bacolod Public Information Office.“That should ensure the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccines starting the 3rd Quarter. This is a step forward for our consolidated vaccine program,” the mayor said.“We salute the dedication of our City Administrator Em Ang, City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, and Ac...

Reuters photoHouse Minority Leader Joseph Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod partylist) said today, February 23, that the Foods and Drug Administration has been issuing contradicting statements that cast doubts on the efficacy of the Sinovac vaccine.The FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to Sinovac yet it also issued advice against administering it to senior citizens and health frontliners, the Negrense lawmaker said.This development only indicates that the EUA issued to Sinovac was half-baked, Paduano said, as he urged FDA to issue a clarificatory statement soon.Paduano scored the agency for allegedly putting the image of Sinovac vaccine, in a bad light which, in effect, cast doubts on its efficacy.There has been opposition to the use of the Chinese-made vacci...

Capitol photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson together with other stakeholders attended the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Safe Water Project “Pause and Reflect Program” held at Seda Hotel in Bacolod City, earlier today, February 23.The governor thanked USAID for their commitment to the shared goal of a water-secure future and improved well-being of households in water-stressed communities in the province.The partnership between USAID and the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental commits Safe Water technical assistance in preparing the Provincial Integrated Water Security Plan (PIWSP), which is a local water security roadmap that espouses the development principles and strategies of the Philippine Water Supply and Sanitation Master Plan, a press release...