Eight dogs positive for rabies

Eight of the 17 dog heads sent to the Provincial Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory since January this year were positive for rabies although there were no recorded deaths yet, records from the Negros Occidental Veterinary Office showed yesterday.

Two of them were from barangay Singcang-Airport and another from Brgy. 31 in Bacolod City, two were from Brgy. East in Candoni town, two from barangays Cartagena and Camindangan in Sipalay City, and the other one from Brgy. 6 in Victorias City.

Provincial veterinarian Renante Decena said that they will conduct a quick response vaccination within the one-kilometer-radios of the areas where the rabid dogs came from to put a stop to the spread of rabies.

Decena said it is important to have the dogs vaccinated annually because records showed that even dogs that were immunized could still be infected with rabies.

He said 36,783 dogs out of 209,466 in Negros Occidental have been given anti-rabies vaccines by PVO in the first quarter of the year.

Decena added that their target is to immunize at least 146,625, or about 70 percent, of the total dog population in the province.*APN

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Squall damage reaches P4.5M

The property damage wrought by the recent gale winds, or squall, that hit Estancia, Iloilo rose to P4.5 million from the previous P3.7 million estimate, the Region 6 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said yesterday.

The RDRRMC said 83 motorbancas from the previously reported 54 had been destroyed by strong waves and gale winds, 56 of which were fishing boats, 22 service boats and five motorized passenger pumpboats.

The Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council had reported earlier a damage of some P18 million worth of property and infrastructure projects in 11 coastal towns in northern Iloilo.

Aside from Estancia, Carles town was also badly hit by the erratic weather phenomenon where seven fishing and service boats were destroyed and nine other pumpboats damaged after big waves and strong gale winds battered the coastal barangays of Pantalan, Bangkal, Punta Carles, Tupaz and Cabilao Grande.

Strong waves also lashed out the town’s island barangays of Buenavista, Talingting, Binuluangan, Granada, Tabugon, Punta Batuan, Bitoon and Isla de Cana, that damaged 20 fishing, service and passenger boats.

The squall also inundated northern Iloilo towns, like Anilao, and damage to fishpond dikes, pumpboats, ricelands, mangrove nursery and residential houses was estimated at around P4.7 million, the PDRRMC said.

Other affected areas were Concepcion, Barotac Nuevo, Dumangas, the coastline towns of Batad, San Dionisio, Banate, Ajuy and Leganes, and barangay Bito-on in Jaro, Iloilo City.

There was no reported injury or casualty during the incident, the POCRRMC said.

Meanwhile, several power posts of an electric cooperative in nearby Capiz province had been toppled down by a howler that slammed into the towns of President Roxas and Pilar in the first district, and Dao and Cuartero in the second district, following the freak weather incidents in Iloilo.

Similar weather disturbance reportedly also caused damage to some areas in Negros Occidental, but the town or city disaster council has yet to submit a report to the RDRRMC.*PNA

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Sipalay receives donation

Nineteen units of electronic weighing scales, with calipers, measuring rods and tape measures, were received by Sipalay City Mayor Oscar Montilla Jr. recently from the Breed Love nongovernment organization based in U.S.A., and church ministry sectors, a press release from the city said.

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IN ESCALANTE
Manlambus Festival held

The 15th Manlambus Festival was celebrated in Escalante City, Negros Occidental recently, a press release from the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division of the Philippine Army said.

It kicked off May 27 with a civic parade and fun walk participated in by representatives from various sectors and organizations. Other activities held in the public plaza were the agro-fair that featured the best products and tourism destinations of the barangays, sports competition, santacruzan, search for “Mr and Miss Body Shot, jamming sessions with local bands, the “RAGASA 2013: Merry-Making, Pintalawas and Street Party”, and a drama variety show that featured talents from Cebu, the press release also said.

Thousands of locals and tourists also gathered at the Escalante Central Elementary School grounds for the Manlambus Festival street-dancing competition participated in by the barangays.

Mayor Melecio Yap said the success of the festival was due to the “Bayanihan” efforts of the Escalantehanons and other stakeholders, including the Escalante City Police, Regional Public Safety Battalion, Special Action Force, 3rd Civil military Operations Battalion and the 62nd Infantry Battalion that ensured peace and order during the festivity, the press release added.*

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