AN ABANDONED building along 4th Lacson Street that had become a haven for mendicants involved in unsafe activity has now been cleared and guarded by 24/7 security of the building management since Friday, August 29, 2025.
Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya said on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, that the building is now barricaded and placed under round-the-clock security to ensure that it is never again used to harbor danger or disorder.
"We thank the building management for their coordination and swift action on this matter along with our Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), Barangay 17, and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO)," he said.
The mayor noted that the abandoned building is being used by children at risk and mendicants involved in illegal activities in the city and most of them are not residents of Bacolod.
"This is a testament to what we can achieve when government, law enforcement, and private stakeholders work hand-in-hand for the common good and to protect our community from harm," Gasataya said.
He said this is their combined declaration that they will not allow disorder to take root in the city.
"We will protect the vulnerable, and that we will stand firm in the face of lawlessness," he added.
On August 13, 2025, a video surfaced online showing four boys allegedly threatening a student inside a fast-food chain near the Bacolod public plaza.
The incident was brought to the attention of Gasataya, who immediately referred it to the BCPO to rescue the children.
Three of the four minors involved were rescued, two of whom had previously run away from home.
City Administrator Mark Mayo also said that the DSSD is now conducting an intervention to the rescued minors.
He said they will continue monitoring to ensure they will not come back to Lacson Street, adding that some of them are residents from neighboring cities in Negros Occidental.
Mayo said they will also coordinate with various local government units to accommodate their rescued constituents. (MAP)