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City PIO photoThe city government of San Carlos has developed its owned technology for contact tracingThe city’s Information Technology and Computer Services Office (ITCSO) came up with a Quick Response (QR) code application for easier and faster contact tracing.The application was launched this week.Joseph Binghay, ITCSO Information Technology Officer II, said the application, named Viral Assessment and Monitoring System, was developed amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the city to make contact tracing easier and faster.He added that the formulation of the ordinance is underway so the use of the application will be implemented in the city.An executive order directing the government offices and barangays to use and implement the contact tracing was already issued by ...

Around 80 cops have been deployed in all cemeteries of Bacolod City for the observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, city police public information officer, said Friday, October 30.Pico said that even if the cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbariums nationwide were closed from October 29 to November 4, policemen will continue to man the areas and to ensure it is closed.Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia earlier issued an executive order imposing the closure of cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbariums in this city to avoid further transmission of the coronavirus disease, in compliance with the order of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to stem the spread of COVID-19.Operators of cemeteries, memori...

Contributed photoTyphoon Quinta floods destroyed P39.1 million in crops and animals, an updated report from the provincial government showed today, October 30.The loss of rice and corn crops hit P38,131,719, and P1,051,258.16 for farm animals.Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said the floods hit 2,625.71 hectares affecting 2,091 farmers.Rice crop destruction in Bago City was placed at P24,665,235, Hinoba-an - P4,235,350, Sipalay City - P3,798,671, Moises Padilla – P1,667, 596, Himamaylan City – P1,459,166, Isabela – P1,422,700, Cadiz City - P427,476, Valladolid – P234, 175 and Pulupandan – P38, 840, he said.Corn crop destruction in Sipalay City was P168,535 and Moises Padilla - P13,975, Masculino added.*

BCPO photoA 53-year-old man was killed after he was shot to death by riding-in-tandem suspects at Purok Fatima in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, Wednesday night, October 28.Killed was Gaudioso Empase of SP Village, Barangay Pahanocoy in Bacolod City.Initial police investigation showed that the victim was driving his tricycle when the suspects shot him.The victim sustained gunshot wounds at the back of his head, causing him to die instantly.Recovered from the scene were five empty shells from an unknown firearm.Police are still investigating the case.*

BCPO photoThree persons, including a woman, were arrested in a drug bust at Purok Kabugwason in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City on Wednesday, October 28.Nabbed were Jose Guzman Jr., 50; Guila Golez, 26; and Ronald Pelowa, 25, all of the barangay.A police report showed that the suspects yielded nine plastic sachets of suspected shabu worth P102,000, the P1,000 marked money, a digital weighing scale, a plastic straw, and two pouches.The suspects, who will face drug charges, are now detained at Police Station 7.*

Richard Malihan photoThe flag at the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City is flying at half staff for the provincial head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government who passed away at past 11 p.m. Wednesday, October 28, after being hit by COVID-19.Ferdinand Panes, 60, passed away at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo after suffering from a heart attack and becoming comatose, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, October 29.He had gone home to Iloilo on October 2, was diagnosed with COVID-19, and was intubated at the St. Paul’s Hospital on October 13, Diaz added.Diaz said about 30 DILG staff members in Negros Occidental were tested for COVID-19 and one casual employee tested positive.The casual employee was quarantined at the Mambukal Resort...

Department of Health and Department of the Interior and Local Government officials in Western Visayas are endorsing the appeal of Mayor Evelio Leonardia to the national Inter-Agency Task Force to de-escalate the status of Bacolod City from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), City Administrator Em Ang said Wednesday night, October 28.President Duterte on Tuesday, October 27, announced that Bacolod would remain under GCQ until the end of November.Dr. Marlyn Concovar, DOH regional director, has announced that Bacolod is qualified to be under MGCQ subject to observance of gatekeeping parameters, Ang said.Leonardia in his appeal for the city to be placed under MGCQ said there is already a significant indication of a continuous reductio...

Contributed photoFloods brought on by Typhoon Quinta destroyed P36 million in rice crops and farm animals in Negros Occidental, provincial officials said Wednesday, October 28.Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said initial reports from three cities and four towns showed that destruction to rice crops hit P34,950,127.68Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena placed the loss of farm animals at P1,051,258.16 in six towns and two cities.Masculino said the rice crop destruction has affected 1,735 farmers and 8,312 hectares of rice lands in Negros Occidental.Initial reports showed that rice damage hit Sipalay City, Cadiz City, Bago City, Hinoba-an, Moises Padilla, Isabela, and Pontevedra, Masculino said.Decena said farm animals killed during the floods were chicken...

PVO photoA rescue center in Hinobaan town has provided temporary shelter for some livestock and poultry animals in southern Negros Occidental displaced by a flood brought on by Typhoon Quinta on Sunday, October 25.Local raisers were able to hurriedly bring their animals, hogs, cattle, goats and carabaos to the rescue center at Barangay Pook to save them from the floodwaters.Dr. Merie Ann Tolentino, Provincial Veterinary Field Unit–District 6 veterinarian, in a report, said many other animal raisers wanted to bring their animals to the Hinobaan Animal Rescue Center, however, due to very bad weather, only those from nearby areas were able to do so.The animal rescue center was donated by the provincial government. through the Provincial Veterinary Office. to the municipality o...

The police arrested a septuagenarian woman for possession of firearms at Don Jesus Village in Barangay Canturay, Sipalay City, on Tuesday, October 27.Nabbed was Noemi Espeleta, 70, of the said barangay.Sipalay City policemen swooped into the house of Mark Anthony Montilla to implement a search warrant when they saw an elderly woman who was “in a hurry and uneasy” at the back of the residence, a police report said.Espeleta, who was carrying a black sling bag was heading towards a bushy area, the police report said, adding that when one of the policemen approached her he saw a pistol in plain view.The elderly suspect yielded .380 caliber Taurus pistol with one magazine, a .38 caliber revolver with 30 live cartridges, seven cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol, five live cartrid...