Lakas moves to win in
vote-rich Negros
BUT NO DECISION ON GUV BET YET
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Lakas-Kampi-CMD secretary general Gabriel Claudio, apparently concerned about the chances of his party's presidential candidate, Gilberto Teodoro, in vote-rich Negros Occidental, yesterday urged Gov. Isidro Zayco to run for governor of the province in 2010.

Zayco, however, stood pat on his decision to run for mayor of Kabankalan City .

Claudio, who is also presidential political adviser, yesterday met with Zayco, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5 th District), Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg. Occ., 3 rd District) and Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela at Malacañang's Guest House.

The total donations in cash and in kind given to the victims of the Nov. 2 fire that claimed the lives of 17 people and destroyed about P4 million worth of properties in Barangay 19, Bacolod City is estimated to have reached almost P1 million, Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said yesterday.

Leonardia has suggested that all donations be given to the Barangay 19 Disaster Coordinating Council, so it will go directly to the affected families.

He said the Department of Social Services and Development will be around to take a supportive role.

The Bacolod City government under Mayor Evelio Leonardia released the remaining half, or balance of the year-end bonus this year with the appropriation of P11,654,863.50, a City Hall press release said yesterday.

The mayor said, “While the budget for this intact and ready for all employees, we are giving our employees the option either to avail of this earlier, or to wait for November 15 which is nearer the Christmas Season”.

There are 2,196 city government employees: 921 plantilla casuals, 1,256 regular, and 19 contractual instructors of Bacolod City College .