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Negros Island and Bacolod City officials announced on Monday, June 2, the implementation of preemptive measures versus the entry and spread of Mpox in their areas.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez has directed inspections at points of entry into Bacolod City, while Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria has created a task force to prevent the spread of Mpox.So far no Mpox cases have been recorded in Negros Island and Bacolod and there is no need to close borders, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.However, in the light of detected cases of Mpox Clade Il in the Philippines, especially in nearby provinces, it is advised that the general public should be proactive in taking measures to build awareness, vigilance and preparedness, Lacson said in an advisory.S...

Councilor Claudio "Kalaw" Puentevella  takes his oath as vice mayor of Bacolod City before Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Monday, June 2.*Rocky Puentevella FB page photo Representative-elect Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Monday, June 2, that he  will push for the creation of a second congressional district in Bacolod City and seek national government funds for the construction of a coastal road and floodgates to mitigate flooding.Benitez is  set to take his oath as representative  of Bacolod before Barangay 18 Captain Madeline Diaz on June 20 and deliver his state of the city address and turn over the reins of the city government to  incoming mayor  Greg Gasataya  on  June 28.Abang Lingkod Partylist Representative-elect Manuel Freder...

A pregnant nurse died when she was hit by two vehicles at the highway in Purok Proper North Irrigation, Brgy. Taloc, Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, June 1.Her 6-month-old unborn child also died.Maria Angela Buendia, 36, of Brgy Taloc was crossing a pedestrian lane, as she was on her way to work at the Valladolid District Hospital, when she was hit by a Toyota Avanza wagon driven by Philip Jansen Cantiller, 30, a resident of Deca Homes Subdivision in Brgy. Cabug, Bacolod City.Due to the impact, she was thrown on the opposite lane and was ran over by a Toyota Yaris wagon driven by Salvador Castro, 59, of Brgy. Crossing Pulupundan, Pulupandan town.The incident resulted in her baby’s being detached from her womb and landing on the pavement.The nurse was brought to...

RSSI infested sugarcane*SRA photoThe spread of the destructive Red-Striped Soft Scale Insects (RSSI) in Negros Island has quadrupled in eight days and is now considered “alarming”, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said on Monday, June 2.The SRA, in a press statement, said it is seeking “emergency powers” and the help of other government agencies to contain its spread in Negros Island, which accounts for over 60 percent of the country’s sugar produce.The SRA is seeking emergency powers to quarantine movement of cane and planting materials, and for the immediate the purchase of pesticides to contain the RSSI.Gov, Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Negros Occidental provincial government is in no position to provide the needed treatment versus RSSI but has alerted agricultu...

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (right)* Ronnie Baldonado file photoAgriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. is joining the launching of the sale of rice at P20 per kilo in Bacolod City on Thursday morning, June 5, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.The National Food Authority has 9,000 sacks of rice that the Bacolod City government will avail of for the P20 a kilo rice program , Benitez said.The city government is allocating an initial P8 million as its counterpart for the program and it will be up to incoming mayor Greg Gasataya to decide on future allocations, he said.Benitez stressed the need to bring down and stabilize the prices of food to lower inflation.Senior citizens, persons with disabilities, indigent...

The Negros Occidental provincial government may rebid its P1.2 billion Bulk Water Project, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, June 2.The consortium of First Balfour Inc., Victorias Milling Co. and FPIP Utilities Inc. was the lone bidder for the project.Lacson said the consortium proposed to sell its bulk water at P24 per cubic meter, which is too high.“Out takers are not amenable to that so we are looking for ways to bring the price of down and one of that is to put in more equity,” he said.The provincial government is willing to increase its P200 million equity in the project and ask the bidders to lower the selling price of the bulk water, he said.“Water security is really a concern and we hope to convince bidders to bring down their cost of the water,” he said....

Bacolod City has the highest basic literacy rate while Siquijor province has the highest functional literacy in the Negros Island Region (NIR), data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Monday, June 2.Based on the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), Bacolod City has the highest basic literacy rate at 93.8 percent while Negros Occidental recorded the lowest at 83.4 percent.Meanwhile, Siquijor posted the highest functional literacy rate at 80 percent while Negros Occidental still has the lowest at 59.4 percent.Basic literacy is defined as the ability of a person to read and write a simple message in any language or dialect with understanding, and to compute or perform basic mathematical operations.On the other hand, function...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson with the Negrense scholars in Darwin.*Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, June 2, that he plans to expand the success of the Negros Occidental scholarship program in Darwin, Australia.Lacson, who just returned from attending the graduations of Negros Occidental scholars from an Early Childhood Education and Care program at Alana Kaye College and Commercial Cookery Course from the International College of Advanced Education (ICAE) in Darwin, Australia, said he aims to send more scholars under the province’s study now pay later program.The Negrense scholars were cited as outstanding students and one was even chosen to deliver a graduation speech, he said.Among the first batch of Negrense scholars one is already an Australian citizen and the rest...

The first four towers of the Asenso Yuhum Residences at Barangay Vista Alegre in Bacolod City*As one of the first local government units to sign up for the Pambansang Pabahay Para Sa Pilipino (4PH) program, Bacolod City is supporting all feasible modalities being pushed by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to make 4PH more inclusive and sustainable.In a press briefing on Monday, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he welcomes the recalibration of the program as the city government is implementing the Asenso Yuhum Residences, a multi-story condominium-type development in Barangay Vista Alegre.“That’s really okay. The program in Vista Alegre is designed for a specific market. If we want to be comprehensive and inclusive, we need different modalitie...