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A P50 million fund has been included in the 2021 national budget for the expansion of the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City, while talks on the transfer of the Negros Occidental provincial government offices to a 25-hectare property in Talisay City will begin in January, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said today, December 29.Lacson said he was assured by a senator, whom he would not name, that P50 million has been included in the national budget for an infectious disease section at the hospital.The amount has yet to be officially downloaded for the Department of Health expansion project, he added.A meeting with local chief executives will also be held in January to finally decide whether the provincial government offices should be transferred to Talisay ...

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson called on Negrenses today, December 29, not to let their guards down even if Negros Occidental remains under the more lenient Modified General Community Quarantine in January as the threat of a new COVID-19 strain looms.President Rodrigo Duterte announced Monday night that Negros Occidental and Oriental, and Bacolod City will remain under MGCQ in January.The new COVID-19 strain is not deadlier but it is 70 percent more contagious, Lacson warned.So he hopes Negrenses continue to practice minimum health standards, which include wearing face masks and shields, proper hygiene, and social distancing, Lacson said.The provincial government in 2021 will continue to swab persons entering Negros Occidental for COVID-19 tests and quarantine them until thei...

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson distributes gift packs to all job order employees of the provincial government at the Capitol grounds Tuesday, December 29. Capitol photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government will give its 600 plus job order workers P3,000 each in gratuity pay, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said today, December 29.However, the provincial government can only give P1,700 in Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) to each of its more than 3,000 regular employees, he added.President Rodrigo Duterte in separate orders allowed the granting of the P3,000 Gratuity Pay to JO workers and P10,000 SRI to regular employees of the government.If the provincial government grants the P10,000 SRI to each of its more than 3,000 employees it will exceed the salary cap...

Moises Padilla LGU photosThe municipal government of Moises Padilla inaugurated its newly-built COVID-19 Healing Center at Barangay 6 on Monday, December 28.Leading the rites was Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, along with the other town officials.The two-storey facility, worth P4 million, can accommodate up to 16 beds, with two bathrooms on each floor, and has a total floor area of 223 square meters.The budget of the facility was sourced from the P11 million Bayanihan grant given to the town by the national government.The national government has earlier allocated funds to cities and municipalities for its coronavirus response.Construction began in July and was supposed to be completed in November but was delayed due to the typhoons that hit the country, Yulo said....

Candoni PNP photoA senior citizen was stabbed to death during a drinking session at Barangay Banga in Candoni town, Negros Occidental, Monday night, December 28.Killed was Francisco Dodria, 60, of Barangay Banga.Based on the police report, the victim was having a drinking session at the house of the suspect identified as 60-year-old Samson Baladhay.The two senior citizens had an argument due to drunkenness, which led the suspect to stab the victim several times, the police said.The victim was rushed to the town’s rural health unit but was declared dead by the attending physician.The elderly suspect, who surrendered to the authorities, is now detained at the custodial facility of Candoni police station.*

BCPO photoTwo women and a curfew violator, who was a high-value individual, were arrested for drugs in separate police operations in Bacolod City.Nabbed during a buy-bust operation in Purok Paghidaet at Barangay 29 early today, December 29, were Julie Anne Cuyoca, 35, of Barangay Taculing, and Rachel Sarroza, 31, of Barangay 32.Recovered from their possession were nine sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P18,400, drug paraphernalia, and P500 in cash.In another police operation, just before midnight Monday, December 28, 54-year-old John Lucasan of Barangay 4 was arrested at Barangay 3 for violating the curfew.BCPO photoDuring the arrest, the police also recovered a sachet of shabu worth P34,000 from the possession of the suspect, who was said...

City PIO photoPresident Rodrigo Duterte announced tonight, December 28, that Bacolod City and Negros Island will remain under Modified General Community Quarantine in January.Metro Manila, the provinces of Davao del Norte, Batangas, Isabela and Lanao del Sur, and the cities of Santiago, Iloilo, Tacloban, Iligan, and Davao will remain under General Community Quarantine, he said.The rest of the country will be under the more lenient MGCQ.Mayor Evelio Leonardia earlier today said he expected Bacolod City to retain its MGCQ status in January with its daily COVID-19 cases having dropped to single digits.Bacolod’s new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday were 7, Thursday - 4, Friday - 4, Saturday -1, Sunday – 0, and today – 1, the Department of Health reported.The city’s active CO...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is consolidating its savings and other funds for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, December 28.The provincial government is still determining how much its savings are from Personal Services, Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses and other programs and projects that were cancelled in 2020, he said.On top of the savings the provincial government has other sources of funds for the vaccines, he also said.The provincial accountant gives all the provincial government offices until the first week of February to submit all their reports so the books for 2020 can be closed and the savings can be determined, he said.Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said it is important that t...

The Negros Occidental provincial government can only legally allocate P1,711 in Service Recognition Incentive (SRI) to each of its more than 3,000 employees, and not P10,000 as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.That is because it can only spend P5,233,154 more for Personal Services this year to avoid exceeding the PS cap set under the Local Government Code, he said.If the provincial government allocates P10,000 each in incentives it will exceed its PS cap by P27 million, which will be in violation of the law, he said.The provincial government has the funds to give its employees P10,000 each in additional incentives, but needs permission to exceed the PS cap, he said.Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is still waiting for the DBM reply on whether the granting of the P10,000 SRI...