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Negros Occidental disaster teams remain on alert for flash floods and landslides that may be brought on by heavy rains with two weather disturbances still within the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division chief, said tonight, November 1.“We are prepared for anything,” he said.He said while Negros is not in the path of Typhoon “Rolly” and Tropical Storm “Siony,” the weather disturbances could trigger heavy rains.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration at 5 p.m. Sunday, November 1, reported that “Rolly” was heading toward the southern coast of Batangas.“Rolly” is forecast to exit the mainland Luzon landmass and emerge over the West Philippine Sea Sunday night, ...

City PIO file photoMayor Evelio Leonardia, in an executive order extending the General Community Quarantine in Bacolod City until November 30, said curfew will remain from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and several businesses will still not be allowed to operate.Religious gatherings will be allowed at 30 percent of the seating capacity of the venue and limited to the conduct of religious worship or service, Leonardia also said in Executive Order No. 70, Series of 2020, issued Friday, October 30.Leonardia said he appealed to the National Inter-Agency Task Force (NIATF) for Bacolod to be categorized under Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) starting November 1.However, the NIATF opted to keep Bacolod under its current GCQ status to ensure the momentum of the city’s gains in the ...

City PIO photosInter-Agency Task Force-Visayas chief implementer Melquiades “Mel” Feliciano and his wife, Mia Fe, have been named the “First Adopted Couple” of Bacolod City in its 82 years of cityhood.Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, in Executive Order No. 69, recognized the “committed effort” and “tireless service” of the Feliciano couple in containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.“The people of Bacolod would like to express their eternal gratitude to the Feliciano couple. As the crisis begets heroes, we have found ours in retired Maj. Gen. Mel and Mia Feliciano,” Leonardia said in his EO.Feliciano was among the members of the team deployed by President Rodrigo Duterte to Bacolod in August during the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in the city.During h...

The Konsyumer-Negros extends its gratitude to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for its advisory mandating no disconnections until the end of year 2020.However, Konsyumer-Negros urges that this mandate is not enough as it only covers consumers who consume less than 200 kilowatt hours (kWh).The economic impact of bill shock is felt by all consumers, be it from the working class or not. No extension of this mandate will solve the already damaging impact of this bill shock; Konsyumer-Negros emphasizes that this mandated relief is temporary, not until the ERC can resolve the underlying issues that allowed bill shock to materialize.Just and fair reform in the energy sector will only be possible if there will be a moratorium on payments for the bill shock period until all bills ...

It has been a year since the CIDG launched a coordinated raid on the offices of Bayan, Gabriela, National Federation of Sugar Workers, and one private residence in Bacolod City on the evening of October 31, 2019.“It is still fresh in the minds of the Negrosanon when the state forces used a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert of Branch 89 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City to target the three offices and one private residence. The use of search warrants from the so called laboratory of fabricated warrants have become a trend increasingly used in Negros as the island was used as the laboratory of trumped-up charges, this makes offices and individuals at risk to the planting of evidences.” said Clarizza Singson, secretary-general of Karapatan Negros. ...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson this afternoon, October 30, signed an executive order extending the duration of the Modified General Community Quarantine over Negros Occidental until 11:59 p.m. of November 30.The governor, in Executive Order No. 20-47, Series of 2020, said all persons violating the provisions of the EO and established health safety protocols issued by the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force will face appropriate administrative and criminal charges.Negros Occidental has been under MGCQ since June.There are 62 new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental and 25 in Bacolod City, the Department of Health reported today.The DOH said 4,614 persons have been hit by COVID-19 in Negros Occidental, 2,936 of whom have recovered and 79 have died. The province has ...

OPAV photosThe Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) recognized the 29 partners from private and public sectors in Bacolod City in the fight against the coronavirus disease.Leading the rites was Secretary Lloyd Michael Dino at the Seda Hotel in Bacolod City on Thursday, October 29. He was joined by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II and Board Member Ryan Gamboa, both representing the provincial government.The partners were recognized for their immense contribution to the goal of OPAV to bring down cases in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, and Western Visayas.Those who received the plaques of recognition were Melquiades Feliciano, chief implementer of the Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas, and his wife Mia; Richard Osmeñ...

Photo from Ferdinand Panes' FacebookThe Department of the Interior and Local Government mourns the passing of its Negros Occidental provincial director, Ferdinand Panes, and will provide all necessary assistance and benefits to his family, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.Panes passed away at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo City Wednesday night, October 28.“As a frontliner, PD Panes’ life was true to our dictum of Matino, Mahusay at Maaasahan brand of leadership in Western Visayas. He was a beacon of excellence in his quest to deliver public service to the Negrenses and all other LGUs he was assigned to,” the secretary said in a statement“True to his calling as a public servant and despite the danger posed by the coronavirus, especially to people of his age, he braved the ...

PIA photoFacilities to boost the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic worth P52 million were inaugurated in the cities of Bacolod and Silay in Negros Occidental today, October 30.Inaugurated were quarantine and isolation facilities in Barangay Alijis and a 32-bed dormitory at then Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in Bacolod City, and another 32-bed dormitory at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital (TLJPH) in Silay City, Regional Director Lea Delfinado of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said.Secretary Vince Dizon, National Policy Against Covid-19 deputy chief implementer, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod partylist), and Mayor Evelio L...

Photo from Ferdinand Panes' FacebookThe Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), together with all of our attached agencies, mourn the passing of our Negros Occidental Provincial Director Atty. Ferdinand Panes due to COVID-19 infection leading to a heart attack on October 29, 2020.As a frontliner, PD Panes’ life was true to our dictum of Matino, Mahusay at Maaasahan brand of leadership in Western Visayas. He was a beacon of excellence in his quest to deliver public service to the Negrenses and all other LGUs he was assigned to.True to his calling as a public servant and despite the danger posed by the coronavirus, especially to people of his age, he braved the threat of the pandemic every single day if only to serve the people.We extend our sincerest condolen...