LIKE other places in the country, Negros Oriental was never spared from problems and issues that affected its residents. Negrenses experienced various problems from economic to peace and order problems. Health and environmental problems also hit the province.

Diarrhea hits Guihulngan

At least ten people died of diarrhea symptoms in Guihulngan and its neighboring towns.

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The Department of Health (DOH) in Central Visayas confirmed cases of diarrhea in Guihulngan City and the towns of Tayasan, Jimalalud, Vallehermoso and La Libertad.

More than a hundred patients rushed to Guihulngan District Hospital.

Resu 7 Renan Cimafranca confirmed that contaminated water sources were the cause of diarrhea outbreak after they were flooded during typhoon Frank.

Cholera hits Bindoy

A cholera outbreak hit three towns in northern Negros Oriental, killing three people. There were 200 cholera cases reported.

Dr. Socrates Villamor, chief of the Provincial Epidemiology Surveillance (Pesu) of DOH, said the diarrhea cases were first reported in early October, but the number of patients who came down with the symptoms has abruptly escalated at an alarming rate over the last two weeks.

Most cases were coming from Bindoy town, followed by Ayungon and Tayasan towns.

Investigation conducted by the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (Resu), showed that water contamination is the cause of the Cholera outbreak.

Most of the water sources, especially in the hinterland part of the three towns, are open springs that are vulnerable for floods during rainy season.

Samples from various water sources show that one of the water sources for drinking is positive with e-coli bacteria, Villamor said.

Army, NPA encounters

The latest encounter between the Philippine Army and communist rebels killed two soldiers and a civilian on October 7, 2008.

The Army, however, successfully blocked the communist rebels who allegedly planned to launch a huge tactical offensive in the town of Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, according to Colonel Cesar Yano, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade.

Colonel Yano, a brother of General Alexander Yano, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said an intelligence report revealed that the New People's Army (NPA) under the Komiteng Rehisyon Sentral Bisayas (KRSB) will launch a tactical offensive within Negros Oriental.

The KRSB formerly based in Bohol and now in Negros Oriental is led by a certain Boy Erecre, regional commander of the NPA in Central Visayas.

Nelson Lucanilao, president of the Buenavista barangay defense system, died on the spot together with the army soldiers -- Privates First Class John Cervo and Stephen Rey Dohinog.

Soldier, who tries to kill official, killed

A soldier tried to kill his superior officer but was killed by another officer.

Private First Class Francisco Dapler, married and a native of Midsayap, Cotabato, was shot by Army Sergeant Ivan Magallanes.

Dapler and Magallanes are both members of the Military Intelligence Company of the 302nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army based in Tanjay City.

Colonel Cesar Yano, commander of the 302nd IB, told Sun.Star that Dapler shot First Lieutenant Rene Gemina while sleeping inside his office.

Gemina was wounded on his abdomen and right leg. He was rushed to Silliman Medical Center in Dumaguete City.

Dapler tried to escape aboard a barge going to Cebu.

Landslide hits Valencia

At least 20 families were displaced by a landslide that hit the hinterland area Valencia, Negros Oriental on May 14, 2008.

The landslide destroyed the 14 houses and a chapel in Sitio Ticala, Barangay Puhagan in Valencia town.

No casualty was reported after barangay officials in cooperation with the Philippine Oil National Company (PNOC) noticed the crack of the soil along the cemented road. The road slid down.

Residents immediately were ordered to vacate their houses.

Some of them were housed at the barangay hall while others were housed at the barangay day care center.

Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez Jr. and PNOC officials immediately coordinated with the Gawad Kalinga (GK) of the Couple's for Christ (CFC) for the building of low cost housing project adjacent to the area for the relocation site.

Rice shortage

Like other places in the country, rice shortage in the third quarter of this year was also experienced in Negros Oriental despite its title being an agricultural province. Prices of commercial rice increase to P40 per kilo from P25 in the market. Marginalized individuals trooped to the outlets of the National Food Authority to buy cheap rice at P18.25 per kilo.

The local NFA office predicted that the onset of the harvest season in the country will pull down the market price of commercial rice in the coming months.

The NFA said there are two aspects of distributions, the market base and the community base. The market base includes the institutionalized Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke located inside the market, where the market price of the NFA rice is at P25 per kilo.

The community-based program Tindahan Natin, Handog sa Parokya, and the Bigasan sa Barangay sold outside the market at P18.25 per kilo to the barangays.

Legislators funded tindahan also sold the same price.

By August, the situation was the other way around. The prices of commercial rice dropped from as high as P45 per kilo to P27 per kilo, while NFA rice went up to P30 per kilo from P18.25 per kilo.

Bank holidays

At least four branches of rural banks in Negros Oriental declared a bank holiday on December 8 without notice to their depositors.

The Pilipino Rural (PR) Bank in Dumaguete City and the two branches of Rural Bank of Bais in Bais City and Tanjay City were placed under receivership by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) and not allowed to get cash infusion from Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

The Monetary Board placed the Legacy Group-owned PR Bank, and the three RBB branches under receivership.

Meanwhile, the Rural Bank of Subangdaku in Dumaguete City was closed on December 10 due to heavy withdrawals. It, however, reopened on December 15.

Bloody port conflict

Twelve persons were injured after port workers and policemen clashed early this year.

The more than a hundred port workers in Dumaguete City staged a strike after the new cargo operator refused to absorb them all.

The Prudential Customs Brokerage Services Inc. (PCBSI) insisted undergo screening before they will be hired.

The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) through Undersecretary Elena Bautista tried to resolve the issue but failed.

The Dumaguete Crisis Committee headed by Mayor Agustin Perdices was created on April 7 to resolve the conflict but still the committee failed.

However, the port conflict was end after the national official of the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) and the PCBSI top management agreed to sign the memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the manager of the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) to absorb all port workers.

7 minors rescued from cybersex dens

Seven minors, aged 13 to 15 years old, were rescued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in a raid on an alleged Cybersex den in Barangay Bacagay, Dumaguete City in June.

The suspects were arrested and charged in court.

The victims were allegedly made to perform lewd acts, wearing only their underwear, in front of computer cameras.

Confiscated from the apartment were a computer set, laptop, gadgets connected to the Internet, cameras, computer installers, and compact discs.

The minors were turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for safe-keeping and later returned to their parents.

3 businessmen killed

Three businessmen were killed in 2008, according to City Police Chief Leopoldo Cabanag.

The controversial lotto operator was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding men in Barangay Cadawinonan, Dumaguete City.

Teresita Zamora of North Poblacion, Valencia, Negros Oriental, became controversial after she vocally and legally filed charges against the local officials of Dumaguete City.

Other businessmen who were killed this year were Internet café operator Prem Bernadez and cellphone storeowner Kent Lariosa who were ambushed and shot by still unknown gunmen.

The killings, however, up to this date, remain unresolved due to absence of witnesses.

For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Dumaguete.

(January 1, 2009 issue)
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