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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider 558 hurt in Negros holiday road accidents

558 hurt in Negros holiday road accidents

Published Jan 4, 2026 10:03 pm
DR. Joan Cerrada (left), chief of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), Health Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, and DOH-NIR Assistant Regional Director Adrian Hort Ramos assess the holiday season during a press briefing at the CLMMRH in Bacolod City on Jan. 1. (Glazyl Masculino)
DR. Joan Cerrada (left), chief of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH), Health Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral, and DOH-NIR Assistant Regional Director Adrian Hort Ramos assess the holiday season during a press briefing at the CLMMRH in Bacolod City on Jan. 1. (Glazyl Masculino)
BACOLOD CITY – Seven persons were killed and 558 were injured in road accidents in the Negros Island Region during the holiday season, the Department of Health-NIR Center for Health Development said Sunday.
DOH-NIR monitoring from Dec. 24 to Jan. 4 said Negros Occidental had the highest number of cases at 328, followed by Negros Oriental with 152, Siquijor with 66, and Bacolod City with 12.
Most of those injured were 21- to 30-years-old, with motorcycle-related accidents accounting for the majority of incidents.
The DOH-NIR reported that 28.9 percent of cases involved alcohol intoxication, while 80.28 percent of those injured were not wearing road safety devices such as helmets or seatbelts. Abrasions were the most commonly reported injuries.
These figures differ from data released by the Police Regional Office (PRO)-NIR, which recorded only 58 road crash incidents from Dec. 16 to Jan. 1, resulting in 12 deaths and 95 injuries.
DOH-NIR Assistant Regional Director Adrian Hort Ramos explained that discrepancies exist because data are still being consolidated and verified among reports from the police, DOH, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
He said DOH figures are based on reports submitted through Disease Surveillance Units (DSUs), while some cases are reported directly to the police.
Health Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral noted a decrease in road crashes related to drunk driving but expressed concern over the rising number of accidents linked to the non-use or use of substandard safety gear.
“It’s a bit sad because it’s preventable,” Maestral said, adding that the situation should serve as a wake-up call for authorities to strengthen road safety campaigns.
Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) Medical Center chief Dr. Joan Cerrada urged the people to exercise responsibility on the road to prevent accidents.
“I hope there will be a sense of responsibility among ourselves to prevent road crashes,” she said.
The DOH reported 10 cases of non-communicable diseases from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1, including one case of bronchial asthma and nine cases of stroke.
These were recorded in Bacolod City (one), Negros Occidental (six), and Negros Oriental (three).
Monitoring of these cases will continue until Jan.6.
Despite being the youngest Center for Health Development in the country, DOH-NIR emphasized that it is fully equipped, responsive, and dedicated to safeguarding the health and safety of every person in the region, especially during the holiday season.

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Accident Negros Island Christmas
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