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Zach Lucas Obsioma, the legless swimmer from Brgy. Zone 4, Cadiz City, wears his three gold medals.*A Cadiznon para-athlete bagged three gold medals in elementary swimming at the Palarong Pambansa-Para Games in Marikina City last week.Zach Lucas Obsioma, a legless swimmer from Brgy. Zone 4, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, bested para-athletes from other regions in the country in three swimming divisions in the elementary boys level.The grade 4 student from Special Education (SPED) Center-Cadiz was legless since birth due to "phocomelia syndrome".Phocomelia syndrome is a rare birth defect characterized, in most instances, by severe malformation of the extremities.Infants born with this condition will have arms and/or legs that are severely shortened or sometimes completel...

Social Security Service president and chief executive officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet (center) at a press conference in Bacolod City on Tuesday, August 8.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Social Security Service president and chief executive officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet signed a Memorandum of Agreement to register the city's job order and contract of service workers as self-employed members of the SSS.The MOA, which was signed Monday night, August 7, makes the Bacolod City government part of the KaSSSangga Collect Program.Under the program the SSS will register the JO and COS workers who voluntarily wish to join as self-employed members of the SSS, while the city government will be responsible for the regular remittances of the SSS contributions through an automa...

Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria at a press conference in Bacolod City on Tuesday.*The Commission on Elections will step up its campaign against vote buying through mobile payment apps and other money remittance services, during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on October 30, Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said Tuesday, August 8.This is a warning to those who intend to buy votes via GCash and other mobile payment apps or money remittance services that the COMELEC will stop them, he said.The Comelec will soon be coming out with a resolution that will include innovative ways to combat vote buying, Ananoria said at a press conference at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City.He said in t...

DILG Negros Occidental director Teodora Sumagaysay*All barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials (BSKOs) should conduct an inventory of government properties under their custody and turn them over to the incoming officials of their barangays not later than November 30, a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official said on Tuesday, August 8.DILG Negros Occidental director Teodora Sumagaysay said DILG Memorandum Circular 2023-047 states that barangay and SK inventory teams must be formed by all barangay captains and SK chairpersons thisweek to prepare the inventory reports.They should also ensure barangay and SK properties and funds are properly turned over to the incoming elected BSKOs, she stressed.BSKOs who fail to turnover the government properties u...

Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez*Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez said he is hopeful that House Bill No. 8492, or the Victorias City General Hospital Bill, will be approved on third and final reading this week.The bill authored by Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) was approved on second reading last week,The Victorias mayor said the city government will craft a Hospital Development Plan in coordination with the Inter-local Health Zone District and Negros Occidental provincial government, a press release from Victorias said.If the Bill will be passed on third reading, it will be submitted to the Senate by September, the press release added.*

Barangay Captain Joseph De los Santos reported for work on Monday*Barangay 16 in Bacolod City had two barangay captains on Monday, August 7.Suspended Barangay Captain Joseph De los Santos reported for work and Acting Punong Barangay Stella De La Peña refused to step down.De los Santos said that on Tuesday he will send letters to the Land Bank of the Philippines, Commission on Audit, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Mayor’s Office informing them that he has resumed his duties as barangay captain.The SP had meted a six month suspension on him for grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, which he said ended last week.“I have my rights,” he said, when asked what he woul...

The inspection on Friday.*Bacolod PIO photoEstablishments at Lizares Avenue in Bacolod City located near the University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos and two churches will not be allowed to sell liquor, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday, August 7.The Bacolod Permits and Licensing Office, in collaboration with Police Station 6, City Legal Office and the Department of Social Services and Development Development, conducted a joint operation on Friday on 11 establishments at Lizares Avenue next to the Lizares mansion following complaints that they were allegedly selling liquor to minors, and found that their permits do not allow them to sell alcohol, City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting said.One establishment was served a first notice, and eight others wer...

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City have lifted their ban on the entry of all live domestic and wild birds and their products, including eggs and manure, from the Visayas, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, October 7.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez in Joint Executive Order No. 2, Series of 2023, amended the order they issued on Dec. 6, 2022, banning the entry of such birds and their products, including those from Panay and Guimaras Islands.The ban was imposed as a deterrent against avian influenza.On July 4 the Department of Agriculture issued Memorandum Circular No. 27 Series of 2023 declaring Capiz as an Avian Influenza Free Province.On July 12, the Regional Advisory Committee for Animal Disease Control and Em...

PACE president Ruben Diamante (center) and some of the directors of the union.*Members of the Board of Directors of the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees (PACE) will voluntarily submit themselves for drug testing, their president Ruben Diamante said Monday, August 7.“We passed a resolution that all of the members of the PACE Board of Directors and staff will undergo voluntary drug tests” this week, he said.The resolution was approved by eight member of the board, Diamante said.This is in support of the campaign for a drug-free workplace at the Capitol, he added.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz earlier said they had received unconfirmed reports of some provincial government employees using and selling drugs, which are subject to validation through surprise...

The Negros Occidental provincial government will present to possible investors its P1.2 billion Bulk Water Public-Private Partnership Project in Bacolod City on Thursday , August 10.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday that the investor’s forum is expected to be attended by officials from the water and finance industries as they hope to fast-track the bidding of the project.Records as of August 4 showed that about 21 individuals representing public and private firms will be attending in person, while 46 others will attend online.Among the investors who will attend the forum will be from Aboitiz InfraCapital, Maynilad Water, Tubig Pilipinas, Water.org, San Miguel Holdings Corp., Manila Water Philippine Ventures, Suez, Metro Pacific Water, and various banking insti...