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BGen. Noel Baluyan (center) hands over the flag to MGen. Eric Vinoya (right) for the turnover of comannd to the new commander of 302nd Infantry Brigade, Col. Leonardo Peña (left). PIA photoThe Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has installed Col. Leonardo Peña as the new command head of 302nd Infantry Brigade (IB).Peña officially installed on Oct. 22 in a change of command ceremony held at the headquarters of the 302nd Brigade, Camp Leon Kilat, Tanjay City.Peña succeeded BGen. Noel Baluyan who was promoted as the new Assistant Division Commander of the 3ID at Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz.Peña is a former chief of Unified Command Staff (CUCS) of the Western Mindanao Command, while Baluyan has served as the 302nd IB commander for one year and two months.In his messa...

Photos from Moises Padilla LGUThe P1.7-million prime mover of Moises Padilla municipal government was swallowed by the flash flood that hit the town on Sunday night, October 25.The heavy equipment, which was purchased in 2008, was found downstream at the Binalbagan river the following day, approximately 50 meters from where it was parked, near the Livestock Auction Market at Barangay 1.The prime mover was the only heavy equipment of the local government that was being used to transport other heavy equipment during project implementation.*

Lakawon Island. Photo from traveloka.comThe COVID-19 pandemic has displaced 2,637 tourism workers in Negros Occidental, Provincial Tourism Officer Jennylind Cordero said Monday, October 26.Updated data from 17 out of 31 local government units in Negros Occidental showed that among those displaced were 1,218 workers from accommodation facilities, 68 from tour and travel agencies, 68 tour guides, 156 in the tourism and transport services, 123 at sports and recreation facilities, 68 at wellness centers, 716 in the food and beverage sector and 220 in other resorts, she said.The 17 LGUs with displaced tourism workers are the cities of Bago, Cadiz, La Carlota, Kabankalan, Escalante, Sagay, Sipalay, Talisay, Victorias and San Carlos, and the municipalities of Hinigaran, La Castellana,...

DA-6 photoHog raisers from Western Visayas (WV) have shipped P255.2 million worth of live pigs to Luzon from June this year as the area was affected by the dreaded African swine fever, Remelyn Recoter, Department of Agriculture-Region 6 director, said Monday, October 26.Since WV is 151 percent self-sufficient in swine, based on the second quarter data of the Philippine Statistics Authority, local raisers with the intervention of the different local and Manila traders and various local government units in the region were able to market about 23,367 pigs worth P255.2 million to Luzon, Recoter said, citing the report of Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)-Veterinary Quarantine Service Region 6."Our farmers have improved their income as they ship their surplus production to ASF red zon...

Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas chief implementer Mel Feliciano is urging individuals showing early symptoms of COVID-19 to seek immediate medical attention.“Strict monitoring of symptomatic individuals is important for them to avoid developing moderate to severe symptoms that could lead to further hospitalization, and worst - death,” said Feliciano, who oversees the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force.Bacolod City has had 4,749 persons hit by COVID-19, 4,248 of whom have recovered, 379 are active and 122 have died, the Department of Health reported Monday (October 26).In October, data from the Bacolod EOC-TF showed that 157 out of 706 individuals with flu-like symptoms tested positive for COVID-19, which translates into a positivity rate of 22.24 percent.As...

Capiz Archbishop Jose Advincula, former bishop of San Carlos in Negros Occidental, said Monday, October 26, that his appointment as cardinal by Pope Francis came as a surprise.Advincula said was informed of his appointment as cardinal by two priests at 7:30 p.m. Sunday because he did have his cellular phone with him.He was surprised as it never occurred to him that he would be named a cardinal, and there was no information that he was even being considered for the post, Advincula said.At first he thought there could have been a mistake as there are four other bishops in Panay with Jose as their first names.But soon he was receiving text messages and posts were appearing on social media that he was indeed appointed cardinal, he said.Advincula thanked God and the pope for...

Persons who need to secure medical certificates in order to be issued with a “Travel Authority” document will be required to register in the Bacolod Contact Tracing (BaCTrac) System starting October 26, in accordance with a new order from the Bacolod City Emergency Operations Center Task Force (EOC- TF).This new health protocol was recommended by the EOC-TF, the central body in Bacolod that collects and harmonizes relevant data that are transformed into policies against COVID-19, a press release from the city government said.In line with this new order from the EOC, City Health Office (CHO) officer-in-charge Dr. Edwin Miraflor Jr. issued Memo Order No. 102320-01.The said CHO memo discourages chest X-ray as a requirement for the medical certificate, as it “does not detect COVID...

303rd IB photosTwo alleged New People’s Army rebels belonging to the Central Negros Front – 1 surrendered to the Guihulngan City Task Force ELCAC headed by Mayor Carlo Jorge Reyes at his residence in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Friday, October 23, Captain Kelvin Bayaban, 303rd Brigade civil military officer, said.The two were identified only as Mari, chairman of Kaugma-on Guihulngan City Chapter and Jomar, a member of a Central Negros 1 platoon of the Komiteng Rehiyon – Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor, he said.The two said that aside from the unbearable hardships and hunger, they realized that their recruiter’s promise of “change” in their lives on joining the movement never came true, Bayaban added in a press statement.The surrender was made possible through the joint eff...

The damaged Talacagay Bridge in Hinoba-an (left). Flooding about 150 meters from the Hinoba-an municipal hall Sunday. Contributed photosHeavy rain brought on by Typhoon Quinta caused water from three rivers in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental to overflow, destroying crops, killing farm animals and submerging houses starting 2 p.m. Sunday, town mayor Ernesto Estrao said today, October 26.He said they were still assessing the extent of the damage.Killed were carabaos, cows, pigs and chickens, while destroyed were corn and rice crops, and banana trees, Estrao added.A portion of the Talacagay bridge was also damaged and only one lane was passable yesterday, he said.The heavily silted rivers of Talacagay, Bacuyangan and Bulwangan triggered the flooding, Estrao said.The Provi...

Around 46 families in Moises Padilla were evacuated to the town’s auditorium after a flash flood hit the stockyard of Barangay 1 around 10 pm Sunday, October 25.The evacuation and relief operations were led by Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, and other local officials, along with the Disaster Response Office, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development.As of this writing, the local government is still conducting damage assessment. (Photos from Moises Padilla LGU)