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• Cadiz City Hall on lockdown after 3 employees contract coronavirus
• 8 rebels killed in Negros Oriental clash
• Escalante mayor ready to face probe over taking Covid-19 vaccine
• 65,000 Western Visayas health workers not yet vaccinated
• San Carlos orients workers, senior citizens on Covid-19 vaccination
• Batapa-Sigue: Protect those who protect us
• 7 Negros Occidental producers join another virtual trade show
• 130 Cadiz City ARBs now landowners
• Himamaylan launches 1st Tour of Negros

Cadiz City Hall on lockdown after 3 employees contract coronavirus Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:50 AM PDT CADIZ City Mayor Salvador Escalante confirmed that the city hall has been put on a temporary lockdown since Wednesday, March 24, 2021, after three city employees tested positive for the coronavirus. Escalante said the temporary closure of the Cadiz City Hall will last until Friday this week. Escalante confirmed that aside from the three employees of the city government who tested positive for the coronavirus, two police officers of the Cadiz City Police Station also tested positive. The mayor said on Sunday, March 21, an employee was swabbed and the result that came out on Monday showed that he was positive for the virus. "On Tuesday, March 23, we conducted another random swab test of city employees and out of the 36 who were swabbed, five were tested positive," he added. Escalante said three of them were city employees and two were members of the city police. They were quarantined at the city's quarantine facility. "I have recommended a five-day lockdown of City Hall 2. It is still subject to the approval of the city Inter-Agency Task Force," he pointed out. He said every night after offices are closed, ultraviolet lights are activated. "We will disinfect the lobby and alley of the City Hall to be safe," Escalante said. All city employees will work from home until further notice, he said. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

8 rebels killed in Negros Oriental clash Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:47 AM PDT EIGHT suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) were killed after a three-hour firefight against joint elements of the Philippine Army's 62nd Infantry Battalion (62IB) and the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO) in Sitio Agit, Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan City Tuesday, March 23, 2021. Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesman of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said they have yet to identify the eight insurgents whose bodies were recovered at the encounter site. The alleged 40 members of the NPA who engaged with government troopers were identified by Pancito to belong to the NPA's Sentro De Grabidad Platoon and the Samahang Yunit Propaganda Platoon Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor. Pancito said the 62IB was sent to Barangay Trinidad after receiving information of the NPA's presence in the area. Pancito said a three-hour-long gun battle ensued between the 62IB and at least 40 communist insurgents. The 62IB was later backed up NOrPPO units, and the NPA rebels were forced to retreat leaving behind the remains of their dead comrades. Pancito said they have reasons to believe that the NPA rebels they engaged with could have suffered far bigger casualties and the other remains could have likely been dragged away by the insurgents from the encounter site. Both the army and police recovered six M16 assault rifles, an M4 carbine, an M60 machine gun, a KG-9 machine pistol and an improvised explosive device. Government forces also recovered the personal belongings of the insurgents, subversive documents, and documents that yield "high intelligence value." Following the clash, 3ID commander Major General Eric Vinoya lamented the deaths of the eight NPA insurgents. "The tragic death of these eight NPA terrorists is an urgent warning to the remaining members of the group to lay down their arms," Vinoya said. Vinoya said their forces will be unceasing in wiping out the NPA insurgents in Negros. He warned them that surrendering is their only option left to avoid misfortune and death. The 3ID commander also lauded the troops involved in the clash, commenting that it was a "decisive engagement." He further added the NPA insurgents in the area were planning to wage terror as part of the NPA's anniversary celebration this month. "I commend our troops, with deepest sense of pride, for preventing such an evil plan to be conducted by this terrorist organization," he added. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Escalante mayor ready to face probe over taking Covid-19 vaccine Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:47 AM PDT ESCALANTE City Mayor Melecio Yap Jr., who was the first mayor in Negros Occidental to be vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine, said he has not received any show cause order yet from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and that he is ready to be jailed if he has committed any violation for taking the risk. He said call of duty made him decide to get vaccinated and to set himself as an example to encourage his constituents to take the Covid-19 vaccines. "I took the vaccine despite the doubts on Sinovac. I took the risk," he added. Yap said 150 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived at Vicente Gustilo Hospital last week and only 47 health workers were willing to be vaccinated. This was the reason why he decided to take the vaccine despite having apprehensions about Sinovac. He added he took the vaccine because he does not want it to go to waste as he learned that it has a short prescribed expiration. He said he learned from the news that local chief executives have been classified as priorities for vaccination, only to learn on Tuesday of the show cause order against Romualdez and four other mayors. "I took the risk on the vaccine despite the fact that If I had a choice I wouldn't take Sinovac. But I have no problem as I am willing to take penalties for my actions and I do believe I did not commit a mistake," Yap said. He said several health workers at the hospital were hesitant of Sinovac and that only a few registered for the inoculation. Yap said he even dared Hospital Administrator Dr. Vermont Uvahev, head of the city's Inter-Agency Task Force, to take the vaccine just to use the whole allocation for the hospital. Yap said, so far, he has not felt any side effects nor adverse effects of the vaccine. He also said he is willing to take on the second dose. If he will not be given, he is willing to wait after a year when he gets rid of the first dose from his body and takes on another brand of vaccine. "Time will come that the vaccines will already be available in the market, I'll buy them for myself to get vaccinated," Yap added. Yap made the statement after Mayor Alfred Romualdez of Tacloban City and four other mayors were served with showcause orders for violating the prioritization of the Covid-19 vaccination program. Yap said he had no ill intention of getting the vaccine early. DILG Undersecretary Epimaco Densing said Mayor Alfred Romualdez of Tacloban City, Leyte; Mayor Dibu Tuan of T'boli, South Cotabato; Mayor Sulpicio Villalobos of Sto. Niño, South Cotabato; Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City, Albay; and Mayor Abraham Ibba of Bataraza, Palawan were issued show cause orders for jumping the queue in getting their Covid-19 shots. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

65,000 Western Visayas health workers not yet vaccinated Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:47 AM PDT ABOUT 65,000 health workers in Western Visayas were not yet vaccinated against Covid-19, a Department of Health (DOH) official said Wednesday, March 24, 2021. Dr. Emilia Monicimpo, regional director of the DOH, said of the first batch of Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines received by the region, only about 23,000 health workers all over the region have been vaccinated. Western Visayas has about 94,000 health workers. Monicimpo emphasized that because of the meager supplies arriving in the country, prioritization is being observed that Group A-1 or health workers are being given the vaccination. Monicimpo also said Western Visayas is assured to get the vaccine allocation from the new batch of Sinovac that arrived in the country. "As to when and how many doses, we are not certain yet," she said. Additional 400,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines have arrived in the country Wednesday from China. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

San Carlos orients workers, senior citizens on Covid-19 vaccination Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:45 AM PDT AS THE local government of San Carlos City prepares for the next group to be vaccinated, representatives of the Communication, Advocacy and Partnership Team of the Emergency Operations Center Vaccine Cluster oriented employees of the various City Hall offices (CHOs) and senior citizens last March 22, 2021. Resource persons during the orientations were nurses Gretel Fegidero, health education and promotion officer of CHO, and Communication, Advocacy and Partnership Team leader Ben Louel Martinez of the City Hospital and Carlos Ramon Solidarios, nurse of the CHO. Fegidero and Martinez cited the importance of the vaccine and how safe it is since the Food and Drug Administration has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for it. They also advised employees to state health status and other medications during the individual assessment before the vaccination. Commonly asked questions include possible side effects of the vaccine and other health concerns especially those who have underlying medical conditions. Moreover, orientation on Covid-19 vaccine and vaccination among senior citizens already started in the different barangays facilitated by Solidarios. (PR) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Batapa-Sigue: Protect those who protect us Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:43 AM PDT CO-EQUAL branches. Not one above the other. The Executive Branch headed by the President and all its instrumentalities must always remember said principle at all times. Otherwise, as my late father's expression goes, "this country is going to the dogs." The virtual world has spotlighted numerous flaws in our systems that require a closer look. Every citizen now has the power to scrutinize every event that happens in the country, from the grandest to the most trivial. So finally, the Supreme Court of the Philippines sitting en banc or all of its fifteen member justices has issued on March 23 a strong statement in response to calls for action on the killings of lawyers and threats to judges. The statement has two parts. One the said Court's stand on the issue and second, what it commits to do and prescribes stakeholders to undertake. In this two-part piece, I will initially share the first part. Here is the full transcript: "The Judiciary is one of the three pillars of our republican democracy which itself hangs on a careful balance between and among governmental powers. To threaten our judges and lawyers is no less than an assault on the judiciary. To assault the judiciary is to shake the very bedrock on which the Rule of Law stands. This cannot be allowed in a civilized society like ours. This cannot go undenounced on the Court's watch. "The Supreme Court is mindful that nothing prevents it from standing by all court officers, judges and lawyers alike as it now does in no uncertain terms. This principle is not now in debate but has remained fix on administering justice amid a history of shifting social and political tides. "Every threat to a lawyer or to a judge that prevents them from exercising their official functions has very serious repercussions on the idea that the Rule of Law must be accessible in an impartial and transparent manner to all parties. Every right guaranteed in the Constitution must be protected. "We are all too aware that everything the Court stands for must bend in ensuring that all its officers can fairly and equitably dispense their duties within the legal system unbridled with the constant fear that such exercise may exact the highest cost. In this light, the Court condemns in the strongest sense every instance where a lawyer or killed or where a judge is threatened or unfairly labeled. We do not and will not tolerate such acts that only perverse Justice, defeat the Rule of Law, undermine the most basic of Constitutional principles and speculate on the worth of human life. "We acknowledge and share the legitimate concerns of the public, the profession, the judiciary as well as law enforcers and public servants in general. We are aware that there are wayward elements who in their seal to do what they think is necessary would simply brush aside what is stated in the law as mere obstacles. This should never be countenanced. For it is only in the enjoyment of our inalienable and indivisible rights that our freedoms become meaningful." Next week, I shall share the recommendations and prescribed steps outlined by the Supreme Court in line with its statement. As a law professor, I help ingrain in our students the respect due to the Judiciary. Covered under the subject Legal and Judicial Ethics is learning about the Code of Judicial Conduct which is now based on the Bangalore Principles. In a Round Table Meeting of Chief Justices held at in Hague in November 2002, the Philippine Supreme Court was represented by the Chief Justice and Associate Justice Reynato Puno, the Bangalore Draft of the Code of Judicial Conduct adopted by the Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial Integrity was deliberated upon and approved. The Bangalore Draft is founded upon a universal recognition that a competent, independent and impartial judiciary is essential if the courts are to fulfill their role in upholding constitutionalism and the rule of law; that public confidence in the judicial system and the moral authority and integrity of the judiciary is of utmost importance in a modem democratic society; and, that it is essential that judges, individually and collectively, respect and honor judicial office as a public trust and strive to enhance and maintain confidence in the judicial system. As Filipinos, we need to protect institutions that protect our rights. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

7 Negros Occidental producers join another virtual trade show Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:40 AM PDT FRESH from their participation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) International Furniture and Furnishings Show 2021 two weeks ago, seven producers from Negros Occidental were again invited to exhibit at the ongoing 2nd Virtual Philippine International Construction Equipment, Building Materials, Interior and Exterior Products Exhibition and Technology Forum (Philconstruct) Show VX 2021. These are Artisana Island Crafts, Bevz Handicraft, Creative Definitions, Golden Arts and Furnishings, Tumandok Craft Industries, Yssa's Handicraft Manufacturing and Hacienda Crafts Company. The trade show that started yesterday and will run until March 30 is organized to serve the needs of the construction and interior design sectors of the country. The seven-day event highlights architecture, interior design and construction collaboration. Mary Ann Colmenares, chair of the Negros Occidental Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Council, said they are grateful for the opportunities that enable local producers to participate in the virtual trade shows that have, for the moment, replaced long-running physical shows. Colmenares, who is also an exhibitor representing Artisana Island Crafts, said these shows have been bringing together the players along the supply chain of the construction, architecture and interior design sectors in the country. "I am proud to share to the public that during the recent Asean International Furniture and Furnishings Show, the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) booth was top three in terms of visitor traffic and inquiries," she told SunStar Bacolod. The seven MSMEs are members of the ANP, where Colmenares also serves as the vice president for advocacy. The Asean International Furniture and Furnishings Show 2021 held last March 9 to 18 was a trade event organized by the Asean Furniture Council and hosted by the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines. It allowed participants to see great designs, interact with top designers and manufacturers via chat, video call, schedule a meeting, exchange photos and brochures, as well attend virtual conferences at the comfort of their home or office. The Philippines was one of the eight countries represented to bring local products to the global market through a digital platform. Christina Gaston, of Hacienda Crafts Company, said the event being an Asean show provides them with greater opportunities to sell to other markets. Gaston, who also chairs the ANP, said there's also an opportunity to learn from others through the conferences. "As entrepreneurs, we must learn to navigate and take advantage of new digital tools and platforms available to us," she said, adding that "it is important for us to tell our brand story so that potential buyers can interact with us directly." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

130 Cadiz City ARBs now landowners Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:40 AM PDT THE Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Negros Occidental-North has awarded over 13 hectares of land to 130 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in an onsite installation, layout and monumenting activities held in Cadiz City recently. Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Rodrigo Jose Villaluna, who led the ceremony, expressed hopes that the awarded land will motivate farmer-beneficiaries to alleviate their lives and their families. The covered landholding was formerly owned by A.L. Agro Development Corporation situated at Barangay Cadiz Viejo in the northern Negros Occidental locality. The activity was conducted through land acquisition and distribution process under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms. Under the program, public and private agricultural landholdings are acquired by the government to be distributed to tenants, farmers, farmworkers and other tillers who are qualified to become ARBs. This is in the form of certificates of land ownership awards covering one contiguous tract or several parcels of land accumulated up to a maximum of three hectares per ARB. This is anchored to the agency's aim to provide lands to landless farmers and farmworkers, guarantee the farmers' land security, deliver social equity and provide them with the necessary productive resources needed to ensure their economic viability and productivity. "Such continuous field activities conducted by the DAR are evidence that despite the inconveniences brought by the pandemic, the service for the Filipino people lives on," the agency said. With Negros Occidental still under the Modified General Community Quarantine, the activity has complied with the minimum health protocols, it added. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Himamaylan launches 1st Tour of Negros Posted: 24 Mar 2021 07:38 AM PDT HIMAMAYLAN City, the awakened dragon in the south, has expanded its horizon after the success of the 6th Tour of the Fireflies by launching the 1st Tour of Negros Endurance and Unity competition at SM North Wing Wednesday, March 24. Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Himamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson led the launching with Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Himamaylan Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao and Mall Manager George Jardiolin joining them. This 1st Tour of Negros is open for professional bikers only, as this will entail endurance ride -- pedaling the routes from Himamaylan City to Hinobaan via Candoni Road, Hinobaan to La Castellana, La Castellana to Don Salvador Benedicto and Don Salvador Benedicto back to Himamaylan City. As the Covid-19 pandemic remains a health risk, Lacson appealed to the organizers to strictly follow health protocol. "We are taking a risk in holding this but we have to prove to the Covid-19 Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (AITF) that we can hold this competition but at the same time follow health protocols. I call on the organizers to make it clear to the participants that on the day of the competition, and if you are not feeling well, then don't participate so that we can avoid the possible spread of the virus. We can prove to the AITF and others that we can still enjoy the competition but we strictly follow health protocols," Lacson said. Mayor Raymund Tongson stands proud to launch the 1st Tour of Negros, which was inspired by the continued success of the yearly Tour of the Fireflies. He said the 1st Tour of the Fireflies began in Bacolod City up to Himamaylan City with 4,300 bikers participating in the said sport event. Listening to the message of the governor in relation to the compliance of the health protocols, Tongson assured the governor that his appeal will be observed. "I am proud to attain the go signal and full support of Governor Bong on this expanded biking event, which will highlight the biker's endurance to hurdle the race and at the same time spread unity among the biking community. I urged everyone to continue to pray for Himamaylan City and also the Province of Negros Occidental," he said. During the launch, the event unravels festivity with the performances of the Himamaylan Street Dance Club and Himaya Dance Troupe. Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said biking is currently the trend for both the young and adult. This is a form of outdoor workout that has physical and mental benefits. "When you do biking, it promotes camaraderie and discipline. I commend the City of Himamaylan and Governor Lacson for hosting this 1st Tour of Negros," he said. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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