This Week in Bacolod (August 19 to 26, 2018)

Bacolod and the rest of the cities in the province of Negros Occidental will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms this week. Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the city and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. It is recommended to check out boat trips from time to time if there are any delayed or canceled trips. It is also recommended to go home as early as possible to avoid traffic jams that might be caused by expected flash floods [1].

Negros Occidental transport groups are wary about the recent decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in reducing the fare rate increase of PhP2.50 for public utility jeepneys to PhP2. Leaders of the three transport groups, namely the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center, Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Associations and Sentrong Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Negros, voiced out their disappointment in the fare hike reduction. The fare hike will be implemented on August 25. Heads up to locals and travelers who are commuting around the City of Smiles [2].

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is set to create a management plan for the conservation of bats in the Philippines. One recipient of this plan is the Mambukal Mountain Resort in Murcia. Mambukal Mountain Resort, one of the nearest getaways in Bacolod City has been a sanctuary for bats, specifically flying foxes. Flying foxes have an essential role in reforestation and eco-tourism promotion [3]. If you are a tourist planning to visit this site in the future, better rules and regulations for the conservation the bats and their habitat will be in place by then.

Some of the relics of St. Pio, fondly called as Padre Pio, is set to be on display in Bacolod from August 14 to 23. The churches and chapels that will house relics will be announced soon. The last time St. Pio’s relic was brought to the Philippines was in 2015. That’s why it would be great to witness the relic especially for Catholic devotees. When he was still alive, Padre Pio became well-known for his stigmata which he bore for 50 years without complaint, but joy in his heart. Other schedules will be on Aug. 29 in Greenbelt, Aug. 31 in Greenhills, Sept. 1 in Alabang Hills and Sept. 5 to 8 in Quezon City [4].

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said the passage of Republic Act 11055 or the Philippine Identification System Act into law is good for the country’s security and for the convenience of citizens. He added that it will dispense with the need to present multiple IDs for different government transactions. In the Senate, Senator Ralph Recto said that the national ID project should be able to solve the problem of 7.5 million Filipinos without birth certificates [5]. This will be great news not just in the city, but also nationwide.