VICE Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the Diwali Festival or the “Festival of Lights,” now on its 4th year in Bacolod, is a celebration of a strong bond between the Filipinos, particularly the Bacolodnons, and the Indians. Familiaran, who sits as acting mayor since Mayor Evelio Leonardia is on travel abroad, underscored this fact as he addressed the Indian community and the Bacolodnon guests at the 4th Diwali Festival held at the SMX Convention Center Saturday. “Through these years, we are gathering to join our Indian brothers in observing the biggest and most important holiday of the year (for them) to celebrate victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair," Familiaran added. "This Festival of Lights for Bacolodnons means the celebration of the strong bonds we Filipinos share with you, our Indian friends, who visited the city," he added. Familiaran said the month of October “gives us several reasons to celebrate – we have the vibrant MassKara and, of course, the one we are celebrating today, the bright colorful Diwali Festival.” The celebration of the 4th Diwali Festival was spearheaded by the Indian Sikh Temple, and was attended by about 450 Indians, Filipino-Indians, and Bacolodnon guests. It featured a dinner of Indian cuisine and an Indian cultural show, and was capped by a fireworks display at the SM City parking lot. Aside from Familiaran, among the guests were Bacolod First Lady Elsa Leonardia and daughter Kara, Councilors Ricardo Tan, Cindy Rojas, and Elmer Sy, and members of the Filipino-Chinese community in Bacolod. Started in 2013, the celebration of the Diwali Festival in Bacolod was made an "annual tourism event" under Ordinance 08-14-694. The ordinance stated: "Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs to mark historical events, stories or myths, but they all spiritually mark the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.” Diwali is a very important festival in the lives of Indians and it is being celebrated around the world, said Harish Nandwani, former president of Filipino-Indian community in Bacolod. "For those (of us) who celebrate Diwali, there is a deeper meaning. Diwali symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, the triumph of good over evil, the triumph of hope over despair," he added. "It also symbolizes the brotherhood among of us. As we share the meal together, let us remember that we breathe the same air, we lived in the same planet and created by the same God – though we (call Him) in different names," he pointed out. (PR)
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Acting Bacolod Mayor El Cid Familiaran Saturday said the Diwali Festival or the "Festival of Lights," now on its 4th year in Bacolod, is a celebration of a strong bond between the Filipinos, particularly the Bacolodnons, and the Indians. Familiaran underscored this fact as he addressed the Indian community and the Bacolodnon guests at the 4th Diwali Festival in Bacolod at the SMX Convention Center Saturday. "Through these years we are gathering to join our Indian brothers in observing the biggest and most important holiday of the year (for them) to celebrate victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance and hope over despair," Familiaran added. "This Festival of Lights for Bacolodnons means the celebration of the strong bonds we Filipinos share with you, our Indian friends, who visited the city," he added. Familiaran said the month of October "gives us several reasons to celebrate - we have the vibrant MassKara and, of course, the one we are celebrating today, the bright colorful Diwali Festival." The celebration of the 4th Diwali Festival was spearheaded by the Indian sikh Temple, and was attended by about 450 Indians, Filipino-Indians, and Bacolodnon guests. It featured a dinner of Indian cuisine and an Indian cultural show, that was capped by a fireworks display at the SM parking lot. Aside from Familiaran, among the guests were Bacolod First Lady Elsa Leonardia and daughter Kara, Councilors Ricardo Tan, Cindy Rojas, and Elmer Sy, and members of the Filipino-Chinese community in Bacolod. Started in 2013, the celebration of the Diwali Festival in Bacolod was made an "annual tourism event" under Ordinance 08-14-694. The ordinance states: "Diwali is celebrated by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs to mark historical events, stories or myths, but they all spiritually mark the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair.” WORLDWIDE Diwali is a very important festival in the lives of Indians and it is being celebrated around the world, Harish Nandwani, former president of Filipino-Indian community in Bacolod, said. "For those (of us) who celebrate Diwali, there is a deeper meaning. Diwali symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, the triumph of good over evil, the triumph of hope over despair," he explained. "It also symbolizes the brotherhood among of us. As we share the meal together, let us remember the we breathe the same air, we lived in the same planet and created by the same God - though we (call Him) in different names," he said.* The destroyed products were the bulk of confiscated items by the DTI within this year, including some 30 weighing scales confiscated by the city from various markets. (PIO photo) P300,000 worth of ‘non-certified’ products were destroyed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Negros Occidental and the city government of Bacolod, yesterday, at the Old Bacolod City Hall grounds. (PIO photo) The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Negros Occidental, together with the city government of Bacolod, yesterday destroyed an estimated amount of P300,000 worth of ‘non-certified’ products as part of the agency’s Consumer Welfare Month celebration. The ceremonial destruction was led by Bacolod City Acting Mayor, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, alongside DTI Provincial Director Lea Gonzales. The destroyed products were the bulk of confiscated items by the DTI within this year, a result of the agency’s regular campaign and monitoring, according to Gonzales. Gonzales said, once products are confiscated, the owner of the establishment will be penalized with a fine of P25,000 per item. In Bacolod City alone, around 10 stores have had items confiscated by DTI, however, the agency refused to name the retailers. For his part, Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist Reginald Hudierez said non-certified products have no import commodity clearance (ICC) sticker, which are required for items like christmas lights, rice cookers, among others. Familiaran said such products should be checked while in Manila before being shipped to the provinces. Also destroyed were some 30 weighing scales confiscated by the city from various city markets. Last month, the city conducted inspections of the weights and measures and miscellaneous services sections at the three major Bacolod City markets. All dilapidated weighing scales were confiscated./WDJ By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr. General clearing operations have been conducted in the three public cemeteries of Bacolod City in preparation for All Saints Day and All Souls Day next week, General Services Office head Jerome Solinap said yesterday. Noel Impreso of the City Engineer's Office said Solinap reported that GSO maintenance and Clean and Green teams have already cleared the Burgos and Handumanan cemeteries. They will clear the Granada cemetery next in preparation for November 1. Solinap said the cemeteries are being secured by Public Order and Safety Office personnel. Strict security measures are being implemented in the cemeteries particularly in Burgos. No one is allowed to stay inside the cemeteries after 5:30 p.m. to prevent informal settlers from occupying the city owned property, he said. Meanwhile, Solinap recalled that he had recommended before that the remains of the dead inside niches in the Burgos cemetery, which are five years old and above, should be transferred to a smaller space to help decongest the cemetery which is already over populated. Due to overcrowding, there are niches that are placed one on top of the other, which is not safe because the structure is not sturdy and might collapse, he said. Solinap said if additional niches are placed on top of others, the public should complain to the caretaker who can inform the owners about it. So far, they have not received any complaint. The city has not yet bought any property for a new public cemetery as provided in the resolution authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. There might be plans to purchase one, he said. The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod passed on final reading on June 15 an ordinance creating the Bacolod City Public Owned Cemetery Regulatory Board that will set up a system for the improvement of the cemeteries and study the feasibility of purchasing a lot for a new one. The ordinance said the existing city public cemeteries along Burgos Street, Barangays Handumanan and Granada, are congested and deficient in maintenance and improvement. Meanwhile, acting Mayor El Cid Familiaran reminded the public to secure their homes before leaving for the cemeteries. They may request their neighbors to look after their house while they are gone so they do not get victimized by burglars, he said.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia has designated Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as acting mayor from October 27 until his return. Familiaran said Councilor Cano Tan is automatically the acting vice mayor and will preside over the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod session on November 3. He received the memorandum of the mayor yesterday designating him as acting mayor, he said. Familiaran also said the mayor travelled abroad to again be the flag-bearer of eight-division world champion Senator Manny Pacquiao in a bout with WBO welterweight titleholder Jessie Vargas on November 6 in Las Vegas. The city government will provide free viewing venues for the Pacquiao-Vargas fight at the BAYS Center, Barangays Banago, Granada, Taculing, Banago and Sum-ag, he said.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia is travelling abroad. Until he returns, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran is taking over as acting mayor. In Memorandum Order No. 183 dated Oct. 25, Leonardia designated Familiaran as acting mayor effective Oct. 27 “until his return to office.” Familiaran said his temporary designation took effect Friday noon when he received the memo. No. 1 Councilor Ricardo Tan is taking over as acting vice mayor. He will preside over the Sangguniang Panlungsod session on Nov. 3, said Familiaran. Leonardia’s memo did not state where he was travelling and when he was set to return. Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao was set to fight Jessie Vargas on Nov. 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada (Nov. 6 in the Philippines). Leonardia would usually carry Pacquiao’s belt or the Philippine flag during the eight-division world champion’s bouts. The city government has designated five live-viewing areas for the fight: BAYS Center, Taculing barangay hall, and gymnasiums of barangays Granada, Banago and Sum-ag./PN BY MAE SINGUAY BACOLOD CITY -- Mayor Evelio Leonardia designated Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as acting city mayor effective October 27. Leonardia issued Memorandum Order No. 183 dated October 25 for the vice mayor to take over his post while he is traveling abroad. Familiaran said he received the order Friday morning, October 28, and he was tasked to monitor various concerns especially the cholera outbreak in the village of Handumanan. He also issued a memorandum designating Councilor Ricardo Tan as acting vice mayor to preside Thursday's session. Leonardia will join Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao team in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 6. Familiaran said the mayor will be the Philippine flag bearer anew during the fight of Pacquiao against Jessie Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center. He added that the city government will provide free live public viewing in five venues, including Bacolod Arts, Youth and Sports (Bays) Center, Barangay Granada Gymnasium, Barangay Taculing Hall, Barangays Banago and Sum-ag.(MAP) Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran was designated acting mayor, effective 12 noon yesterday. Mayor Evelio Leonardia will be travelling to Las Vegas for the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas, set for November 6 at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) Thomas & Mack Center. The mayor is part of Pacquiao’s official team. The designation is in place until Leonardia’s return. Meanwhile, City Councilor Ricardo Tan will serve as acting vice mayor./WDJ By Jerome S. Galunan, Jr. THE Department of Trade and Industry in Negros Occidental have confiscated and destroyed about P300,000 worth of non-certified products in front of the old Bacolod City Hall Friday, October 28. These “substandard” items, which included helmets, appliances and other electrical products like Christmas lights, among others were found to have no Philippine Standard (PS) and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) certification marks. The destruction was conducted in the presence of DTI-Negros Occidental personnel, city government representatives, and consumers. Reginald Hudierez, senior trade and industry development specialist of DTI-Negros Occidental, said these non-certified products were confiscated from at least 10 establishments in Bacolod as of October of this year. Hudierez said the items are included in the list of products under mandatory certification thus, it must have PS and ICC markings certified by the Bureau of Product Standards. The manufacture and selling of non-certified products violate the Product Standard Law, one of the main components of the Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines. Erring establishments are subjected to penalties ranging from P25,000 to P300,000 per kind plus confiscation of all products within its vicinity, including the stockroom. “The products are deemed dangerous posing threat to consumer safety if these failed to pass through laboratory testing and has no certification from the authorized agency,” Hudierez said. Lea Gonzales, provincial director of DTI-Negros Occidental, said they conducted the destruction at the downtown area to further raise public awareness on the huge number of uncertified products proliferating among establishments in Bacolod. The event was the culminating activity of the Consumer Welfare Month observance in the province themed, “Consumer Protection: A standard Responsibility.” “Ensuring standards is vital in consumer safety thus, we continue to urge the consumers not to patronize substandard products and look into quality over the price,” Gonzales said. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, also present during the destruction, commended the efforts of DTI in confiscating and destroying non-certified products. Familiaran said the government should strictly enforce the law from the source of the products, specifically in Metro Manila, so that it won’t reach the provinces, cities, and municipalities. Meanwhile, aside from the DTI-seized items, the products destroyed also included some 30 non-calibrated weighing scales. These were confiscated by the city government through the Market Coordinating and Monitoring Task Force. By ERWIN P. NICAVERA |
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