Bacolod honoring three
Banwahanon awardees
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The City of Bacolod will honor its outstanding citizens during a program at the lobby of the Bacolod City Government Center in celebration of the city’s 74th Charter signing commemoration at 6 p.m. tomorrow.

The outstanding Bacoleños, who will be awarded the prestigious Ang Banwahanon Award - the 24th since 1974 - are Pamela Torre Henares, Lucy Chua Ponce and Joel “Bagguer” Villaluz, Sr. for the economic, social, cultural and sports development impact of their contributions to the community.

Henares is cited for her very strong leadership in sustainable agriculture, organic farming and solid waste management, Ponce as a major benefactor of the Bacolod Boys Home Foundation, Inc. and contributor to the development of young people in conflict with the law, and Villaluz for the social impact of his “free” musical services especially for the elderly and disabled and, for notably composing “Kami Bacolodnon,” which eventually became the official song of the City of Bacolod.

The Department of Health yesterday announced that it is conducting outbreak response immunization in the barangays of nine towns and seven cities in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, that have been hit by an upsurge of measles cases.

Dr. Renilyn Reyes, medical coordinator of the DOH Regional Expanded Program on Immunization, said measles cases in Western Visayas from January to June this year have reached 182 cases compared to 110 cases last year, or 65 percent higher.

Of the 182 measles cases in Western Visayas, Negros Occidental accounted for 122 cases or 67 percent and Bacolod City for 39 cases or 21 percent.

Dengue cases increased by 44.5  percent in Western VisayasfromJanuary to June this year, but decreased in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, Dr. Joji Jimenez, Department of Health Dengue Regional Medical Coordinator, said yesterday.

Jimenez saidWV dengue cases in 2012 were 1,626 compared to 1,125 last year or an increase of 44.5 percent.

There were also 28 deaths recorded in WV this year compared to 15 last year of an increase of 86.66 percent, DOH data furnished by Jimenez shows.