BACOLOD City – Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, head of the Bacolod City Inter-Agency, said on Tuesday that they recommended to Mayor Evelio Leonardia to ask a Japanese firm to postpone its job recruitment activity on March 12, 2020.
Familiaran said it is part of the measures taken by the city amid the threats of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 or COVID-19. Familiaran said 87 Japanese nationals will arrive in the city to recruit 500 locals for employment in Japan. The recruitment activity of Tricastle International will be at the Bacolod Government Center. The vice mayor said that the Japanese contingent will arrive in Manila then to Bacolod-Silay Airport via connecting flights. Leonardia said the Japanese firm will be asked to postpone their activity and will be informed diplomatically as well that they will not be accommodated in the city. The mayor said that he will ask the hotels in the city not to accommodate the Japanese. He said that if the Japanese group insist on coming to the city, they will be asked not to get out of their vehicles. Meanwhile, Familiaran said the Task Force also recommended to the Mayor to cancel barangays fiestas as part of the measures vs COVID-19. But he said the President of the Liga ng Barangay Councilor Lady Gless Gonzales has informed them that as part of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s policy, the Liga has to hold the barangay assembly. But Familiaran said such activity is better postponed as well.
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Alliance Global Group Inc. Chairman Dr. Andrew L. Tan (seated) signs an executive order after he was conferred the title Honorary Mayor of the City of Bacolod Saturday during the highlight of the Bacolaodiat Festival. Looking on are Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia (2nd from left), Kevin L. Tan, and Councilor Cindy Rojas. (Dolly Yasa) BACOLOD City – Alliance Global Group, Inc. Chairman Dr. Andrew L. Tan vowed to help shape Bacolod into a Dragon City.
Tan made the vow at the Spring Festival Dinner Saturday night at the SMX Convention Center after he received the title Honorary Mayor and Adopted Son of the City of Bacolod during the highlight of the Bacolaodiat Festival. “Our holding company, Alliance Global Group, which handles Megaworld, Emperador, Travelers International which operates Resorts World Manila, and Infracorp, is looking at Bacolod as a major investment destination. Bacolod City has so much potential, and we look forward to helping shape Bacolod into a Dragon city,” Tan said. Tan said Megaworld is currently building two townships here with a total of 87 hectares. “Part of our vision for these townships is to be able to contribute to Bacolod’s booming tourism industry. In our Northill Gateway development along the new Bacolod-Silay airport, we built the Bacolod Welcome Marker, upon the suggestion of Mayor Leonardia, to provide visitors and tourists with a perfect spot to drop by and take their pictures.” Tan further said that by next year, a modern McDonald’s store will open beside the Bacolod Welcome marker, which Megaworld also put up. Megaworld is also building the Northill Town center, their first commercial development right in front of Forbes Hill, where restaurants, cafes, and pasalubong centers will be located. At the Upper East, which Megaworld is developing near the Bacolod Government center, they are building a first-of-its-kind shopping mall that showcases an iconic clock tower, which is envision to be another landmark for the city. “In this township, we will also build a hotel to further boost the city’s capacity to accommodate more tourists and visitors. Hopefully soon, we can also build another art museum here,” Tan said. Tan also lauded Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and the Bacolaodiat Festival officials. He said that while it is not his first time in Bacolod, “it always feels like I am coming home.” Aside from its rich and colorful history, Tan said Bacolod always has a good story to tell and “Your very own Bacolaodiat festival is one of them. “While the Chinese New Year is a tradition for us to celebrate every year, this festival is one-of-its-kind. I am delighted to see how the city gathers the entire Filipino-Chinese community in one venue like this, demonstrating unity amidst cultural diversity.” Tan also thanked the city government for conferring on him the titles Honorary Mayor of the City and Adopted Son of the City. In his conferment ceremony as Honorary Mayor at the Bacolod City Government Center, Tan said there was only one question that came to his mind: “How do I fill in the shoes of Mayor Leonardia who has already done so much for this city?” “Indeed, it is going to be big shoes to fill even just for this day that I become an Honorary Mayor.” He also thanked the City Council headed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran for passing the resolution naming him as ‘Adopted son of Bacolod.’ “Bacolod is the first city in the country that is giving me this title and honor. It is a great privilege to become part of a city that is admired as a model of other highly urbanized cities in the country in terms of governance and competitiveness.” As part of the conferment ceremony, Tan signed three executive orders and a business permit at the City Mayor’s Office. He was accompanied by his son Kevin Tan. Also witnessing the ceremony was Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo who introduced Leonardia to the Tans during the latter’s birthday celebration in Manila recently. Tan’s conferment as Honorary Mayor of the City of Bacolod and as Adopted Son was made through Executive Order No. 3 series of 2020 signed by Leonardia. By Dolly Yasa BACOLOD City – Acting Mayor El Cid Familiaran on Sunday said two more Persons Under Investigation (PUI) for the novel coronavirus were discharged from the hospital on Saturday. The PUIs – a 12-year-old and a 58-year-old Overseas Filipino Worker – were released after the 14-day quarantine period lapsed. Five remaining PUIs are still in several hospitals here in the city The latest to be admitted was the 38-year-old woman from La Castellana, Negros Occidental. In sum, eight PUIs are still under observation here. As of Sunday, Familiaran also said there is still no confirmed case of nCoV infection here and the city will continue to implement preventive measures against the virus.” “We should not be complacent,” Familiaran said. He also said that the Bureau of Immigration will take an active role in locating tourists and locals who came from nCoV affected areas. As soon as there are personalities who arrived in the city from nCoV affected areas, the BOI will immediately inform the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team. The BHERT will then take charge of monitoring the persons. By Dolly Yasa (Photo Courtesy of Bacolod City PIO) BACOLOD City – The Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) here will likely be extended from January 20 to February 29. Mayor Evelio Leonardia said he has signed an endorsement requesting the Sangguniang Panlungsod to extend the BOSS to February 29 upon request of business groups. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the SP will approve the request through an ordinance. Leonardia said business registration here increased by 18.73 percent as early as January 2020 compared to the first seven days of last year due to one major factor – the implementation of advance processing. He also said that for the first time, the city implemented in December advanced processing of business permits availed of by about 3,000 taxpayers and led to the increase in the number of business registration in the city. Business registrations reached a record breaking 25,627 compared to 23,187 in 2018, or an increase of 17 percent. Stella Rose Rayos, head of the Permits and License Division, said that the temporary closure of about 14 establishments in Bacolod last year for lack of business permits made taxpayers aware that they need to secure business permits. This may have also contributed to the increase in payment of business registration, she added. Rayos said out of the 14 establishments, 11 have complied and will be given the chance to renew their business permits. Records showed that 11,384 establishments have registered compared to 9,588, a difference of 1,796, or an increase of 18.73 percent, Rayos said. Rayos said taxpayers who pay in full can avail of 10 percent discount and avoid paying a surcharge of 25 percent. After the BOSS on January 20, the agencies involved will return to their offices and taxpayers can no longer avail of the 10 percent discount. By Dolly Yasa BACOLOD City – A 50-megawatt solar power plant will soon rise in the village of Vista Alegre in this city.
The development of the first large-scale renewable energy project in Bacolod, with an estimated cost of PHP2 billion, kicked off with the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the partner-developers held at L’ Fisher Hotel here Thursday night. Mary Grace Helene Buhain, president and chief executive officer of Amatera Renewable Energy Corp., and Charles Ji, president of TPC Construction Corp., signed the agreement on behalf of their respective companies. “The vision of Amatera goes beyond business, but the social responsibility to benefit everyone,” Buhain said. The Bacolod-based company, which is leasing the 74-hectare family-owned land for 25 years to the Korean firm, had secured a clearance from the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct grid impact studies on the Vista Alegre property in early 2016. Its project was then included on the agency’s list of awarded solar projects in June that year. Buhain said the project consultants will come from Korea, but they will also hire locals for the construction, which is expected to start this year. In his speech, Ji said the signing of the MOU was the start of the beautiful partnership and collaboration between the two companies. “We are thankful for the trust given to our company, (for us) to work together for this project,” he added. Engineer Hanshel Layaoen, technical consultant for Amatera, said about 100 employees would be hired for the technical and labor aspects, and at least 300 workers more would be needed to complete the project in six to seven months. Both companies aim to start the commissioning by 2020, which is also the scheduled completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230-kilovolt Backbone Project of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP). The influx of solar power plants in Negros Occidental in recent years caused the main line, transmission, and interconnection lines to congest, according to the DOE. Considering the congestion, Layaoen said the construction of the Bacolod solar farm project cannot proceed without the transmission utility’s backbone project. Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, who attended the signing event, welcomed the development of the renewable energy project in Bacolod as he recognized that solar is now at the center of local energy transformation. “This is the first large-scale solar energy source in Bacolod and a step towards a greener and more sustainable city,” said Familiaran, who is currently the acting mayor since Mayor Evelio Leonardia flew to the United States to witness the fight of Senator Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas on Sunday. (PNA) MAYOR Evelio Leonardia and other city officials at the ribbon-cutting ceremony during the inauguration of the Bacolod Historical Mural on Nov. 20. (Photo courtesy of the City PIO) MAYOR Evelio Leonardia led the inauguration of the Historical Mural, dubbed “Bacolod @ 80,” in celebration of the 80th charter of the city on Nov. 20, 2018.
The murals are painted on the outer fence of the Bacolod North Cemetery on Burgos Extension Road. Joining the mayor were Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, Councilors Ana Marie Palermo and Renecito Novero, City Administrator John Orola, barangay officials, city employees, Boys and Girls Week officials, and the local artists behind the project. The event was spearheaded by City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office (CCLDO) officer-in-charge and project head Brenda Burdeos, whose late husband Rafael Burdeos, conceptualized the project. The murals show the history of Bacolod since its cityhood in 1938 up to the present. Artists from the National Committee on Visual Arts (NCAA), as well as the local, were earlier tapped to help in the project. “It is now one of our treasures in Bacolod,” Leonardia said at the inauguration. He added that this could also be one of the tourist attractions in the city, if maintained and will have the story properly narrated to tourists. HISTORY The murals have seven frames – the first shows the theme of the city’s 80th year celebration “Full Speed Ahead,” with some major awards received by the city. The second depicts the significance of agriculture, especially of sugarcane farming and sugar production to Bacolod as the capital city of Negros Occidental, while the third features the Cinco de Noviembre revolt of the Negrenses against the Spaniards. The fourth shows the modernization of sugar milling; the fifth, the signing of the Charter of Bacolod by President Manuel Quezon; the sixth, the dark moments in Negros Occidental; and the seventh frame, the MassKara Festival. (City PIO) HIMAMAYLAN City Mayor Tinto Bascon, La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor Mangilimutan, Silay City Mayor Mark Golez, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Victorias City Mayor Frederick Palanca, Rep. Greg Gasataya and San Enrique Mayor Jilson Tubillara at the city public Plaza for the highlight of the 39th MassKara festival in Bacolod City. (City/PIO/photo) BACOLOD City – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte lauded the MassKara Festival of this city saying that it is a story of Filipino resiliency. “More than a time for revelry and colorful costumes, this annual event is an inspiring story of the Filipino resilience. It is proof that despite the many struggles and hardships we face, we can overcome any adversity through cooperation and perseverance,” Duterte said in his speech during the second to the last day highlight of the 39th MassKara Festival at the city public plaza on October 27, 2018. This is the third consecutive year that Duterte graced the MassKara Festival since he sat down as President in 2016. His daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte also came to join the festivities. Those who arrived for the festivities included former PNP Chief Ronald de la Rosa, former P/Supt. Cesar Mancao, Ilocos Governor Imee Marcos, Senators JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque, and Visayas Presidential Assistant Michael Dino. They were welcome by city officials led by Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Rep. Greg Gasataya, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, and city councilors. Duterte said that, “As we celebrate the creativity and beauty of Bacolod, I laud the craftsmanship and talent that have been showcased throughout the entire festivities. The colorful and dynamic spirit of the Bacolodnons is indeed a true reflection of our identity as a people.” He added that the challenge of nation-building is an arduous task that requires dedication, commitment and hard work. “As you commemorate your 80th City Charter Anniversary – daw kadugay na man diay ni – I hope that this annual celebration will serve as a reminder to my fellow public servants and our beloved citizens to never hesitate in lending a helping hand and a warm smile to those in need, especially during times of calamities and distress,” he stressed. He also called on everyone to remain supportive of his administration’s programs and policies that aim to institute genuine reform in governance. “I am optimistic that with the important contributions of Bacolod City [to] our tourism and economic development, we will be able to achieve our hopes and aspirations for our beloved nation,” he added By Dolly Yasa
SENATOR Juan Miguel Zubiri turns over the architectural design and perspective of the P163-million museum for Bacolod City to City officials headed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran with Councilors Em Legaspi, Caesar Distrito, and Bart Orola on Oct 14, 2018 at the L’Fisher Hotel. (Dolly Yasa) BACOLOD City – Senate Minority Floor Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said on Oct 14, 2018 that the construction of the P163-million museum for Bacolod City is expected to start in the first quarter of 2019. Zubiri presented the architectural design and perspective of the multi-million museum to the media and the Bacolod City officials headed by Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran in a press conference held at L’Fisher Hotel here. With Familiaran were Councilors Em Ang, Caesar Distrito, and Bart Orola. Familiaran said Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has called him up and said that he could not be around for the presentation as he has to leave for Manila for an important matter. Zubiri said that the structure is not simply a museum but will have an amphitheater as well as an auditorium where events, meetings, and other activities can also be held. He said the structure will have a leaf design and is not a traditional museum. He also described it as an iconic and historic structure that will be one of the tourism attractions of Bacolod City in the future. Zubiri assured he has lobbied that the P163-million budget will be included in the 2019 budget and will be allocated in full for the museum and not the usual allocation released by tranches. He stressed that this would ensure that the project’s construction will be continuous until it is completed. The museum is targeted to be finished in more or less two years, Zubiri said. When asked why he has chosen Bacolod for the project, Zubiri who is yet due for re-election in 2022 said that, “We want to give back to the Bacolod and Negros, our roots are here.” He cited Ilonggo Senator Franklin Drilon whom he said has facilitated major projects for Iloilo. Zubiri added that the museum will be first of the many projects he has in line for Bacolod City and the province of Negros Occidental. He pointed out that the city government’s share is to provide the 5,000 square meter location. On his part, Familiaran said that there is already a location for the project and it will be announced by Leonardia himself. Familiaran added that the city officials are thankful to Zubiri for the project and they have acknowledged him as the city government’s godfather. By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia strongly endorsed and vouched for Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as an honest and hardworking vice mayor during the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (COCs) of Grupo Progreso (GP) on October 11, 2018. Leonardia also urged the people of Bacolod to vote for Familiaran and make it a 15-0 sweep from mayor, vice mayor, congressman, and the 12 councilors under the GP. He said a 15-0 sweep of the GP line -up will ensure a harmonious working relationship among the city officials thus will benefit the city and the people. With Familiaran as vice mayor, Leonardia said the team-up between the executive and legislative is smooth sailing. “I could vouch for his honesty and integrity,” Leonardia stressed. Familiaran who is running for his second term is set to be challenged by former Vice Mayor Thaddy Sayson who was also a one-time vice mayor of Leonardia. Leonardia also urged the people to give Congressman Greg Gasataya his second term. He noted that, “It has been proven that if the mayor and the congressman come from one party, projects for the city continue to be implemented without hitches.” He lamented that in the past, the city lost a major flyover project because the congressman allegedly “blocked” its implementation. Gasataya is set to be challenged by former Mayor Monico Puentevella. On the other hand, there seems to be no formidable opponent for Leonardia as businessman Vladimir Gonzales posted in his Facebook account, “After praying hard for God’s guidance, I’m setting aside politics for now…” Before Gonzales, Bacolod number one Councilor Ricardo Tan, who has declared he is running for mayor, came out with a declaration that he is ‘resting’ from politics and will not run for any elective position. On his part, Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano, who has also hinted to be eyeing the mayoralty post, said that he will no longer pursue it and will instead seek a third term as partylist congressman. By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD City – The Grupo Progreso (GP) led by Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia bared its complete line-up and jointly filed their respective certificate of candidacy (COC) on Oct 11, 2018 at the city’s Commission on Election (Comelec) office. The candidates running for mayor, vice mayor, congressman, and councilors were presented to the media in a press conference at the Business Inn. The group then attended a mass at the San Sebastian Cathedral and afterwards trooped to the Comelec office to file their COCs. Leonardia, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, and Congressman Greg Gasataya dubbed as the big three are seeking re-elections. Among the 15 candidates for councilors are six re-electionists Cindy Rojas, Bart Orola, Elmer Sy, Renecito Novero, Dindo Ramos, and Anne Marie Palermo. Also in the slate are former councilors Archie Baribar, Al Victor Espino, and Carl Lopez. Completing the line-up for councilors are Israel Salanga, Marlon Solidum, and Simple Distrito. Leonardia appear unopposed in his re-election as another mayoralty aspirant. Businessman Vladimir Gonzales in his Facebook post on Oct. 11, 2018 said, “after seeking God’s guidance, I am setting aside politics for now.” Earlier, Councilor Ricardo Tan, in a press conference announced he will not run for mayor. Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. StephenPaduano, who hinted to challenge Leonardia, also announced he will forego his plan to run for mayor and will seek a third term as partylist congressman. On the other hand, Gasataya is set to be challenged by former mayor Monico Puentevella and Familiaran will be up against former vice mayor Thaddy Sayson. GP is a local political party which is an alliance of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban); Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC); and National Unity Party (NUP). By Dolly Yasa
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