THE Grupo Progreso political party, led by its mayoralty candidate Bacolod City Representative Evelio Leonardia, staged their opening salvo at the city plaza until on Tuesday night, March 29, with around 10,000 supporters in attendance. Leonardia, who is running against re-electionist Mayor Monico Puentevella, said that Grupo Progreso would work to bring back the competitiveness of Bacolod. “Bacolod has lost its competitiveness,” he said, citing that Bacolod ranked 73rd in competitiveness among Philippine cities while it placed 46th in government efficiency. The rally was attended by Senator Vicente Sotto III, senior member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, who publicly endorsed Grupo Progreso’s full slate of 15 candidates for the May 9 elections. Despite the lack of electricity at the plaza, the Grupo Progreso team continued their political activity with the aid of a power generator. Leonardia said he was proud and honored to have Sotto as their special guest and speaker. The Grupo Progreso slate is dubbed “Beg Dozen Starrss.” “Beg” stands for Bing Leonardia for mayor, Councilor El Cid Familiaran for vice mayor, Vice Mayor Greg Gasataya for congressman. “Dozen Starrss” stands for the party’s slate for the City Council: Distrito, Caesar; Orola, Bart; Zulueta, George; Espino, Al Victor; Novero, Renecito; Sy, Elmer; Tan, Ricardo; Ang, Em; Ramos, Dindo; Rojas, Cindy; Salanga, Israel; and Solidum, Marlon. Leonardia said he was overwhelmed by the number of Grupo Progreso supporters who came to the rally. “Those who came were really our supporters. They came because they want to show their support for us with all sincerity and love,” he added. Sun Star Bacolod by CARLA N. CANET
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As the local campaign period starts on March 26, Bacolod City’s two major local political organizations will officially launch their respective campaigns next week. Incumbent Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella is urging every Bacolodnon to attend the Partido MKK (Magbinuligay Kita Para sa Kauswagan) kick-off rally at the public plaza, at 5:30 p.m. on March 28. Puentevella said he wants to see the people of Bacolod united as they present their programs, objectives, and platforms for the next three years. Aside from Puentevella, members of the Partido MKK include vice mayoralty aspirant Vladimir Gonzales and former Vice Mayor Thaddeus Sayson for the Representative of the Lone District of Bacolod. Puentevella announced his slate during the party’s declaration rally at the Bacolod Arts, Youth, and Sports (BAYS) Center in October last year, where he presented the 11 members of his council seat – incumbent Councilors Claudio Jesus Raymundo Puentevella, Ana Marie Palermo, Sonya Verdeflor, Alex Paglumotan, and Wilson “Jun” Gamboa, Jr.; former Councilors Homer Bais and Catalino Alisbo; lawyer Lyzander “Bong” Dilag, Brgy Captain Jocelyn Uychiat, physician Francis Balsomo, and lawyer Arnel Sigue. There will be a mini-caravan prior to the opening salvo at the public plaza, marking the first time Puentevella will use the public plaza for a political rally. Puentevella disclosed their campaign will start on Easter Sunday with the administration-sponsored mass baptism in the city. Meanwhile, Grupo Progreso (GP), led by mayoralty candidate Bacolod Lone District Representative Evelio “Bing” Leonardia, will open their campaign with a motorcade in the city on Monday and their official opening salvo the following day. On Monday, GP candidates and supporters will attend mass at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) at 2:00 p.m. The motorcade will traverse the city starting at 3:30 p.m., concluding at the reclamation area. GP will hold their kick-off rally at the public plaza on Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. The GP candidates are being dubbed, “BEG DOZEN STARRSS.” “BEG” stands for Bing Leonardia for mayor, El Cid Familiaran for vice mayor, and Greg Gasataya for congressman. “DOZEN STARRSS” is another acronym of names, comprised of Caesar Distrito, Bart Orola, George Zulueta, Al Victor Espino, Renecito Novero, Elmer Sy, Cano Tan, Em Ang, Dindo Ramos, Cindy Rojas, Israel Salanga, and Marlon Solidum — all candidates for councilor. Leonardia announced Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III will be the guest speaker at their event on Tuesday./WDJ By Glazyl Jane Marie Y. Masculino The Grupo Progreso and Pamilya Magbinuligay Kita Para sa Kauswagan will kick off their campaign Monday with a motorcade. The campaign period for local candidates officially starts Saturday. Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella yesterday said the Partido MKK will kick off its campaign on Easter Sunday with a mass baptism to be sponsored by the city government, while their political rally will be held at the Bacolod City Public Plaza at about 5:30 p.m. Monday after a mini caravan. The Grupo Progreso led by Bacolod Rep. Evelio Leonardia will hold their opening salvo on Tuesday at the Reclamation Area after a 2 p.m. mass at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos and a motorcade around the city at 3:30 p.m. Leonardia announced that Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto has accepted their invitation to be the special guest and speaker at the opening salvo. Sotto, the survey frontrunner among senatorial candidates, is the baptismal godfather of Leonardia's daughter, Kara. The GP slate is composed of candidates dubbed, “BEG DOZEN STARRSS.” “BEG” stands for Bing Leonardia – for mayor, El Cid Familiaran – for vice mayor, Greg Gasataya – for congressman. For councilors: “DOZEN” means Distrito Ceasar; Orola, Bart; Zulueta George; Espino Al Victor; Novero, Renecito. “STARRSS” is the acronym for Sy, Elmer; Tan, Cano; Ang, Em; Ramos, Dindo; Rojas, Cindy; Salanga, Israel; and Solidum, Marlon – also for councilors. Grupo Progreso is an aggrupation of local members of the Nationalist People's Coalition, Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, and Partido Paglaum. Meanwhile, other members of Partido MKK are congressional candidate Jude Thaddeus Sayson, vice mayoralty candidate Vladimir Gonzalez, and Councilors Claudio Puentevella, Ana Marie Palermo, Sonya Verdeflor, Alex Paglumotan, and Wilson Gamboa Jr., former councilors Homer Bais and Catalino Alisbo; lawyers Lyzander Dilag and Arnel Sigue; barangay captain Jocelyn Uychiat and Dr. Francis Balsomo – all for councilors. Puentevella said he is inviting the public to attend their rally as they present their programs and platform of government. Puentevella recalled that this is the first time in the history that he will be able to use the plaza for their opening salvo, now that he is mayor. He also said the mass baptism will be held at the Redemptorist Church at 3 p.m. Sunday for children seven years old and below. Registration will start at 1 p.m. He said the mass baptism is part of the Bacolod Summer Smile Festival activity of the city.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Bacolod Councilors Em Ang, El Cid Familiaran and Caesar Distrito led the switching-off of lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. during the Earth Hour 2016 celebration at SM City-Bacolod Saturday. The event was participated in by various sectors who pledged their commitment to conserve energy and take action against climate change. Ang, who has been present in all Earth Hour activities of SM, lauded the mall's support to the Anti-Plastic Bag City Ordinance she had authored to eliminate the use of plastic bags, while Distrito said he authored an ordinance requiring all establishments to adopt proper treatment of hazardous waste. Familiaran said he also authored an ordinance institutionalizing Arbor Day that enjoins the participation of everybody and requires city scholars, summer jobbers and students of the Bacolod City College to plant trees in vacant lots of the government. Desiree Diel, who represented Dr. Felicidad Altalaguire of the Earth Hour Core group, thanked the participants, who joined the various activities, and SM for its support to the annual Earth Hour celebration. “Climate change knows no boundaries for it affects and will continually affect everyone if we do not start acting now…We are again reminded to continuously work and care for each one by protecting our mother Earth and to shine a light on climate action,” she said. Mae Castro, PR manager of SM City Bacolod, said that during last year's Earth Hour celebration, the mall saved 3,400 kilowatts in one hour, valued at P40,000. Mall manager George Jardiolin, said that due to the varied energy saving procedures, SM was awarded by the Department of Energy the Don Emilio Abello Award. “In the most recent awarding, we earned 56 awards,” he said. Aside from their daily operational procedures that helped reduce electricity and carbon footprints, SM also engages in many other projects geared toward sustainable living and mall operations, he said. Jardiolin said that in the previous year, they saved more than P320 million in energy costs in the whole country, which is largely due to the utilization of renewable sources of energy. Today, they have approximately 30,000 solar panels at SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, and in SM Xiamen, China. SM has 58 malls all over the country aside from branches in China, he said. The Earth Hour activity Saturday started with an Earth Hour Walk from the Capitol Park and Lagoon going to SM City in coordination with the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers – Negros Island Chapter, and followed by a series of talks on climate change, energy conservation and renewable energy. Students from Colegio San Agustin-Bacolod, Carlos Hilado Memorial State College and the Technical University of the Philippines – Visayas and other schools were also present to show their commitment to energy conservation and to combat climate change.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Various sectors joined the Earth Hour 2016 celebration hosted by SM City Bacolod, Saturday, March 19. LIGHTS OUT 2016. SM mall manager George Jardiolin and Desiree Diel of Colegio San Agustin - Bacolod join (left to right) Councilors El Cid Familiaran, Caesar Distrito and Em Ang in switching off the lights at SM City Bacolod on Saturday to mark Earth Hour 2016.* The Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE), Bacolod City Water District, Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod, University of St. La Salle, Negros Occidental High School, Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME), Integrated Institute of Electrical Engineers (IIEE) as wll as the Institute of Chemical Engineers, with other groups, held a mangrove planting at Punta Taytay in Bacolod City as a kick off activity. In the afternoon on March 19 was the Earth Hour Walk from the Capitol Lagoon to SM City. The activity highlight in the evening was the ceremonial switch off of electricity from 8:30 in the evening, for an hour, joined by local officials, school officials and students from Carlos Hilado Memorial State College and the Technological University of the Philippines-Visayas, with other schools. Bacolod Councilor Em Ang lauded SM’s support to a city ordinance she authored to eliminate using plastic materials that SM City now applies. Councilor Caesar Distrito authored the city ordinance, requiring all establishments to have treatment facility for toxic waste. Councilor El Cid Familiaran also authored an ordinance institutionalizing participation of everybody in planting trees in the vacant lots of government. Thus, each student of the Bacolod City College, and high schools in the city must plant and grow 10 tree seedlings every year to beat climate change and preserve the environment. Dr. Felicidad Altalaguire represented by Desiree Del, as leader of the Earth Hour Core Group said, Earth Hour is not only for this day, but it is for our future generation to live in a wholesome environment. During the one hour observance of Earth Hour, appliances in the homes were also switched off. The Bacolod City government, on instructions of Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella, also switched off lights at the Bacolod People’s House, public plaza and at the Old City Hall. May Castro, PR manager of SM City Bacolod, said in last year’s Earth Hour celebration, the mall saved 3,400 kilowatts for an hour, valued at P40,000.00. George Jardiolin, SM City mall manager said, due to varied energy saving procedure, SM has been awarded by the Department of Energy the Don Emilio Abello Award. SM has 58 malls all over the country aside from those in other countries. Cascading the energy saving procedure to the community, SM has approximately 30,000 solar panels at SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, and in SM Xiamen, China. “We have to save our mother earth by protecting our environment,” Jardiolin disclosed.* Submitted by Edith Colmo Negros Daily Bulletin THE City Council of Bacolod passed 59 ordinances and 1,414 resolutions in year 2015. In a report prepared by Council Secretary Vicente Petierre III, the most number of city ordinances passed were mainly authored by Councilors El Cid Familiaran and Wilson Gamboa Jr., with nine each. Councilor Jocelle Batapa-Sigue authored seven ordinances; Councilors Em Ang and Archie Baribar, six each; Councilors Ana Marie Palermo, Sonya Verdeflor, Caesar Distrito, and Claudio Jesus Raymundo Puentevella, four each; and Carlos Jose Lopez, Alex Paglumotan, and Noli Villarosa, two each. Councilor Roberto Rojas has none which he mainly authored. Palermo topped the list of co-authors with 11 ordinances while Paglumotan and Familiaran had six each. Ang and Baribar were co-authors of five ordinances each while Distrito, Sigue, Gamboa, and Verdeflor co-authored four ordinances apiece. Rojas co-authored two ordinances while Lopez, Puentevella, and Villarosa co-authored one ordinance each. Meanwhile, of the 1,429 resolutions filed, records showed that only 1,414 were passed last year. The top five councilors with highest number of approved resolutions in the past year are Palermo, 271; Paglumotan, 238; Lopez, 132; Baribar, 121; and Puentevella, 117. The Council recorded 18 appropriation ordinances passed last year, which include those authored by Puentevella, 12; Palermo, 4; and Verdeflor, 2. By CARLA N. CANET |
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