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The offices of the governor and provincial administrator have temporarily been locked down.*Richard Mailhan photoPart of the Negros Occidental provincial Capitol, including the Office of the Governor, in Bacolod City was locked down starting Friday morning, March 26, after the head of the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) and three of his staff tested positive for COVID-19, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.Also locked down are the Provincial Administrator’s Office and Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD), while the Provincial Health Office is operating on a skeletal force.The lockdown for disinfection is expected until Monday.Zeaphard Caelian, PIMT and PDMPD head, and three of his staff tested positive when they were swabbed for RT-PCR tests in prep...

Some sections of the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital have been closed for disinfection.*Richard Malihan photoThe pediatric ward and neonatal intensive care unit of the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City were locked down for disinfection Friday, March 26, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The lockdown was ordered after a pediatrician at the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City tested positive for COVID-19, Diaz said.The doctor had received her first AstraZeneca vaccine dose, he said.Diaz said the doctor is coughing and others were exposed.The Pediatric Department will only cater to severe emergencies and the Obstetrics Department will only accommodate eminent deliveries, Diaz said.Diaz said th...

The Negros Occidental provincial government resumed the processing of the S-PaSS (Safe, Swift and Smart Passage) of travelers to the province Friday afternoon, March 26, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The processing was temporarily halted Friday morning when Zeaphard Caelian, the head of the Provincial Incident Management Team, and three of his staff tested positive for COVID-19.“We halted the S-PaSS processing temporarily while a risk assessment was underway,” Diaz said.Two supervisors in charge of processing the S-PaSS applications tested negative for COVID-19 and have resumed work, he said.They completed processing all the S-PaSS applications for the day, he added.Travelers from Luzon to Negros Occidental have dropped to 20 percent with the national Int...

The Philippine Coast Guard seized dried seahorses worth P460,000 at the Banago Port in Bacolod City Friday morning, March 26.*PCG Negros Occidental photoThe Philippine Coast Guard intercepted 15.250 kilos of dried seahorses worth P460,000 at the Banago Port in Bacolod City at about 11:30 a.m. Friday morning, March 26, Capt. Ludovico Librilla, PCG Negros Occidental commander, said.The shipment was bound for Iloilo City and was already aboard the M/V FastCat M3 when they intercepted the package containing the dried seahorses, he said.Librilla said a member of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group informed them that he received a report of a shipment of illegal fishery products.They then searched packages on the vessel and a saw box with two seahorses protruding, he s...

Sugar leaders Friday, March 26, called for the immediate scrapping of the country’s “A" sugar allocation to fill its United States quota with the drop in domestic production this crop year.Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, said UNIFED is calling on the Sugar Regulatory Administration and Department of Agriculture to stop issuing “A” quedans for the export of the country’s sugar to the United States in lieu of the shortfall in local production because of too much rain.“We also want to address the rising prices of local sugar which our consumers do not like,” he said.Raymond Montinola, president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc., in a letter to SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, made a similar appea...

The Department of Tourism in Western Visayas is reminding residents and tourists to observe the minimum health protocols against the coronavirus disease during the Lenten Season.In an advisory issued Friday, March 26, DOT-6 regional director Helen Catalbas said tourists and stakeholders are reminded to stay vigilant and to observe the minimum health and safety guidelines such as wearing face masks and shields, maintaining proper hygiene, and physical distancing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the region as more destinations reopen for travel.DOT-6 also encourages all tourism enterprises and entities to practice contactless transactions particularly in triage centers where guests need to fill out health declaration forms to comply with health and safety protocols.Meanw...

3ID photoThe New People’s Army (NPA) honored their 10 comrades who were killed in an encounter with state troopers in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, this week.Ka Juanito Magbanua, spokesperson of the NPA’s Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, said in a statement released Friday, March 26, that those who died were considered martyrs.He said they are giving their highest revolutionary salute to Ka Troy, Ka Pido, Ka Diego, Ka Ayron, Ka Bong, Ka Jun, Ka Junas, Ka Mighty, Ka Jeck-Jeck and Ka J.K. for their courage and sacrifice when they encountered the army troopers.Their courage will serve as an inspiration to the poor masses to advance their cause, he said.“The dedication, courage, and sacrifice of the many immortal heroes and martyrs of the revolution further ignited the bur...

PDEA photoOperatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Special Enforcement Team Region 6 arrested 12 suspects while more than P100,000 worth of drugs were seized in a buy-bust operation at Purok Star Apple in Barangay 27, Bacolod City, Thursday, March 25.Those arrested were identified as suspected drug maintainer Cristina Tovero, freight den maintainer Jeyciprey Juarez, Jake De-Asia, Nathaniel Ledesma, Mico Mapare, Mark Anthony Perez, Jimboy Jacildo, Bobby Go, Norvin Dorable, Ellen Fernandez, Rene Bayona, and Angie Glimada.During the raid, PDEA operatives also seized about 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000, the buy-bust money, and drug paraphernalia.The suspects will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of...