This Week in Bacolod (April 17 to 23, 2022)

The Negros Occidental provincial government shall endorse other towns and cities in the province to be placed under Alert Level 1 classification for the following days.

With the aid of their respective LGUs, selected towns and cities have improved and did well in inoculating more residents and furthering their vaccination drives, as pointed out by Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz. [1]

Bacolod City and Negros Occidental are currently placed under Alert Levels 1 and 2.

Component cities of La Carlota and Sagay, EB Magalona/Saravia, Pulupandan, and San Enrique, on the other hand, are also placed under Alert Level 1 classification.

Diaz approves the recommendation that Cadiz City, Candoni, Murcia, Pontevedra, Silay City, Talisay City, and Victorias City be placed under Alert Level 1.

The national Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-MEID) has recently approved the Western Visayas Department of Health’s (DOH’s) recommendation that the provincial government follows the alert level per LGU regulation. Diaz says that with this updated policy, respective LGUs can set and reclassify alert level classifications based on how each area meets the parameters of the DOH, especially regarding the efforts of the LGUs in holding their respective vaccination drives.

Alert Level 1 is considered the new normal status and is currently the lowest alert level classification implemented in the country.

Meanwhile, the Bacolod City government is checking up on implementing the Bacolod City COVID-19 Contact Tracing (BaC-Trac) in establishments with authorizing bodies in Bacolod City, the City Legal Office (CLO), and the city government’s Task Force Disiplina (TFD).

Some establishments in the city no longer follow the contact tracing protocols that came to alerts and notice by the Bacolod City government’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Bacolod City cannot scrap BaC-Trac policy procedures since an existing ordinance mandates such protocols, as emphasized by the deputy for medical and data analysis of the EOC, Dr. Chris Sorongon.

Alangilan National Highschool and Apolinario Mabini Elementary School are two schools in Bacolod City that are now implementing face-to-face classes.

According to Sorongon, schools permitted to administer face-to-face classes have successfully passed and met the requirements set by the Local School Board and the City Mayor’s office. Protocols are still developed since the government also approves such situations.

The Department of Education has also implemented its guidelines to be met by schools that want to hold face-to-face classes.

As of April 7, three public elementary and secondary schools in Bacolod City have also applied for approval to hold limited face-to-face classes.

Students and teachers participating in the limited face-to-face classes must be fully vaccinated according to the IATF and Department of Education (DepEd) guidelines.

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson shows hope and optimism that the provincial government shall further ease travel restrictions in light of tourism and anticipate more incoming tourists within the year.

During the quarterly meeting of the provincial government, Lacson highlighted that majority of incoming tourists are bound for Bacolod City. The governor notes that coordination between the Negros Occidental local government and the Bacolod City government is essential for improving tourism in the province and its highly urbanized city.

The S-PaSS requirement is currently lifted, requiring incoming tourists to present only their vaccination cards upon arrival.

On a brighter note, the highly anticipated MassKara Festival in Bacolod City is expected to be held this 2022 after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia officially announced this during the micro, small, and medium enterprise or MSME support program launch at the New Government Center, which responded with cheers and applause.

With the future month-long MassKara Festival celebration held like it was in the past years, Leonardia says that this would pave the way for Bacolod City to revive itself as a cultural destination and engage more tourists to come to the City of Smiles.

Leonardia promised Bacolodnons, tourists, and guests that this year’s festival would be more prominent for the coming-out party of the city. [2]

With festivals, rallies, and concerts being held, Negros Occidental has also reopened some iconic tourist spots, like the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary, with new and updated rates.

When the resort opens after Holy Week, the entrance rate will be increased to PhP120 and PhP60 for adults and children, respectively. The updated entrance fee shall now include free use of the dipping and swimming pool amenities of Mambukal Resort.

As for the villas in the resort, the proposed rates cost PhP2,000 for the married, PhP2,400 for triple sharing, PhP3,000 for the quadruple sharing, and lastly, use for the family cottages shall be PhP5,500.

Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena, who is also assigned to be in charge of the resort, noted that there had been no increase in amenities and recreational accommodations rates at the resort since 2003. The last entrance fee increase was way back in 2011. [3]

In the recent Western Visayas records from the DOH, Bacolod City ranked second in the tallied number of variants of Sars-CoV-2 causing the coronavirus.

Bacolod City recorded 289 variants, following Iloilo with 494 variants. [4]

However, Bacolod EOC deputy for medical and data analysis, Dr. Chris Sorongon, said these cases have already recovered.

CIBO, a famous homegrown Italian restaurant, opened its newest branch in Bacolod City.

The restaurant Chef Margarita Flores founded has finally opened at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Gatuslao Street, Bacolod City, the first-ever branch to open outside Metro Manila.

Bacolodnons can now taste CIBO’s coffee, pasta, pizza, main dishes, desserts, and classic CIBO favorites such as the bruschetta Pomodoro, spinach Zola dip, and potato chips—plus more from their menu!

CIBO is also proud to share that ingredients used in cooking the restaurant’s delicious dishes, such as the tomatoes, are sourced locally in Bacolod City Burgos Market, and cheese for the Casa Del Formaggio’s burrata is also locally sourced from Negros.

Visit Yoorekka Magazine for more travel and COVID-19 updates and guidelines in Bacolod and Negros!