Senior Supt. Mark Edison Belarma, former police director of Negros Occidental, and 47 other policemen and women in Western Visayas were promoted to the next higher rank, police records show.

President Benigno Aquino III approved the promotion of Belarma to the rank of chief superintendent, which is equivalent to the rank of brigadier general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, effective yesterday.

Belarma who served as police director of Negros Occidental and director of the 6th Regional Mobile Group in previous years, is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1981. Chief Supts. Cipriano Querol, regional police director of Western Visayas, and Charles Calima, PNP Training Service chief, are his classmates.

On the other hand, the Commission on Appointments approved Wednesday the appointment of former AFP chief Nestor Ochoa, who served as deputy commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade in Negros, as Philippine ambassador to Brunei.

Querol yesterday also administered  the oath-taking of 47 newly-promoted police Inspectors, including Ramel Bustamante and Leomel Gonzaga, who used to be assigned at the Task Force Ilahas, in a ceremony held at the Goldenfields Commercial Complex in Bacolod City.

The 47 newly-promoted police inspectors yesterday completed the Public Safety Officer’s Basic Course, which was conducted by the Philippine Public Safety College.

Querol said the junior grade officers will all be assigned to police stations and mobile group units, for law enforcement operations in Western Visayas.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, officer-in-charge of the Bacolod City Police Office, and Supt. Hector Maestral, director of the PNP Regional Training Center 6, among others.*GPB

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ISHI conducts
surgical mission

The International Surgical Health Initiative, a non-profit organization composed of volunteer surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses from the United States of America who conducted a free surgical mission recently, at the Vicente Gustilo District Hospital in Escalante City, called on Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. at the Capitol.  

They are Drs. Asha Bale, Ziad Sifri, Leonard Mason, Vishnu Hoff, Kevin Clarke, Devashish Anjaria, Marcelino Potian, David and Debbie Livingston, with nurses Mae Tingson, Irene Banares, Socorro Rogers, Alison Baker, Margaret Rathbun, Cathy Blaskewicz, and Emilia Wawsczcyk, a Capitol press release said.

The team conducted major operations involving hernias, gallstones removal, hemorrhoids, intestinal surgery, myoma and breast diseases, among others on indigent-patients, the press release added.*

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Raffle winners named

The Negros Occidental High School 1986 Alumni Association Inc. in Bacolod City recently held a post-Christmas raffle draw, a press release from the group said.

Major prize winners are Kinnah Bitun who won a mini laptop as the  first prize, Pauleen Joy Ramirez –  a 21-inch LCD television as second prize, and Maerine Paule – a digital camera as third prize.

The 20 consolation prize winners of internet broadband gadgets are the NOHSAA Inc., Benjie Guinto, Karen Paterno, Elmer Corral, Ursuei Tabuchi, Carmela Millezo, NOHS Foundation, Carmina Molina, Bianca Feliciano, Cyneah Kalalang, Loreto Espina, Mary Joy Nunez, Jeoffrey Ramirez, Carolyn Arcilla, Luis Alcontin, Ma. Sara Wiggett, Maripaz Carmona, Clifford Lamirez, Ben Sta. Ana, and Andrea Ortaliz, the press release added.*

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Civil registration
month marked

The National Statistics Office – Negros Occidental Branch Office, with the 32 civil registrars’ offices in the province, is celebrating the 2011 Civil Registration Month, a Philippine Information Agency press release said.

The public is being reminded  of the importance of civil registration in February, it said.

Then President Corazon Aquino, through Proclamation No. 682 issued on January 28, 1991 declared the month of February of each year as Civil Registration Month.

The month-long activities in Negros Occidental include mobile registration, an information campaign on registration of important events like birth, marriage, death, and the holding of mass weddings especially on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, the press release said.

The theme “Quality Civil Registration in Support of the National Development Goals” is a reminder to all Filipinos that all the vital events be registered timely.

Civil documents are among the requirements in almost all undertaking, from enrollment to school to employment both local and abroad, board examinations, social welfare and health benefits, the press release added.*

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