Cops step up security
as classes start today
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Thousands of students in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will troop back to public schools today for the opening of classes, while the police have gone heightened alert.

Classes in most private schools start next week.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Provincial Schools Superintendent Juliet Jeruta yesterday reminded public school students to be present on the first day of classes today.

“Go to school and study well. The best way to solve poverty is to have a good education,” the governor said.

‘Father proposes, son disposes’

The financial affairs of Bacolod City, especially its P1.3 billion budget, are now in the hands of the father-and-son tandem of Mayor Monico Puentevella and his son, Councilor Claudio.

That, Councilor Bobby Rojas said, is because, Councilor Claudio is now the chairman of the city council committee on finance, a position where he is expected to approve and disapprove, support or reject, funding for the city’s projects and activities and other financial matters.

So now we have a set-up where the father proposes, and the son disposes, Rojas said. Mayor Puentevella proposes how to spend the money of the city, and his son approves or sponsors its approval in the city council, he added.

LTFRB sets age
limit on vehicles
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

Director Romulo Bernardes of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 6 is reminding operators of school service vehicles aged 15 years or more not to use them anymore.

Bernardes said yesterday that LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez has issued a directive against the use of vehicles aged 15 years or more, for service in schools as they pose dangers.

The Memorandum Circular 2013-006 of the LTFRB dated October 2013, imposes a mandatory age limit of 15 years on school transport services, which means units shall not be confirmed if their age is more than 15 years, even if the Certificate of Public Convenience is still valid.