As we reach the last day of the 4-day Weekend Timeout, thousands submitted to voluntary swabbing and though the 10,000 target may not be realized, it seems promising with Bacolod reporting 4,384 got tested. This indicates that we may reach a good output of 70 percent in the whole province.

A public health crisis will now be left at the hands of the generals as our city government deemed it wise to seek the assistance of the higher-ups in arresting the rising COVID cases in our locality.

Even before the so-called “mass testing” which is part of the O-Plan of the city and the province, there seems to be a disconnect on how this should be implemented.

Negros was abuzz with what “O-Plan: One-Time, Big-Time” means after it was announced at the joint press conference of the chief executives of Bacolod and Negros Occidental over the weekend.

First it was drugs. Now it’s under the excuse of terrorism. When will the killings end?

Five years ago, we were so gung ho over the concept of One Island, One Region. That was quashed to death by the president as soon as he took office in Malacañang. Even Duterte minions who are from Negros were disappointed by this decision as majority was sold to the idea.

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Bishop Desmond Tutu

I have been harping about discrimination against medical frontliners and yesterday, an appeal came from Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran to stop discriminating call center agents following the death of an employee from a BPO company here.

Over the weekend, Talisay Mayor Neil Lizares issued a statement asking all hospitals in Bacolod City to provide immediate information to the LGUs if their health workers are under the list of “suspected” COVID-19 positives, have been swabbed and awaiting results.

It’s been seven months since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in our country. At the start, there were reports of discrimination against medical frontliners such as booting them out of dormitories and refusing them entry in establishments.