Carla P. Gomez

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson *Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the shooting incident at the Senate on Wednesday evening was “embarrassing.” “It tarnished the image of the Senate because I’m sure the world was watching,” Lacson said on Thursday.  “Many around the world saw what happened in the Senate of the Philippines,” he said. There were some doubts that those gunshots were staged, he said.There have been allegations that the gunshots were fired as a diversionary tactic to enable Senator Ronald Dela Rosa to leave the Senate building unnoticed.  Dela Rosa has made it clear that he does not want to be surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Lacson said. “So I guess he left the Senate bec...

Bishop Louie Galbines* CBCP News photo Pope Leo XIV’s on Thursday named Kabankalan Bishop Louie Galbines  the new bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines announced. He will replace  Bishop Patricio Buzon who led the Diocese of Bacolod   for nearly 10 years. The move brings Galbines,  59, back to the Diocese of Bacolod where he was ordained a priest and served in key leadership roles before he became bishop of Kabanklan, the CBCP said. Buzon, 76, retired after surpassing the mandatory retirement age for Catholic bishops.  Church law requires bishops to submit their resignation at age 75, subject to papal approval.  Buzon has served as a bi...

The crater glow (banaag) at Kanlaon Volcano on Wednesday night was faint compared to previous nights, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) chief said on Thursday, May 14. So far, the parameters at the volcano are not enough to necessitate raising the alert level from 2 to 3, Phivolcs Director Teresita Bacolcol said. Kanlaon Volcano recorded 31 volcanic earthquakes and spewed 755 tons of sulfur dioxide from 12 a.m. Wednesday to 12 a.m. Thursday, Phivolcs reported. Crater glows have been observed at Kanlaon since Sunday evening, but for the second straight day, there were no ash emissions, Bacolcol said. Phivolcs will continue to monitor the situation at Kanlaon over the ne...

Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin on Wednesday, May 13, ordered the expeditious restoration of three major power plants in the Visayas to stabilize the regional grid, which is currently grappling with critical supply shortages.The Negros Electric and Power Corp. in an advisory Wednesday night said due to the red alert status declared by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), temporary "rotational brownouts" or Manual Load Dropping (MLD) were being implemented in its coverage area to help prevent a larger power outage in the grid.Garin, in a statement released Wednesday, said the Visayas grid was placed under red alert from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a following yellow alert scheduled until 9 p.m. due to a power supply shortfall on Wednesday.To address the s...

Voter registration in Bacolod City.* Comelec Bacolod FB page photoThe Negros Island Region (NIR) has recorded a total of 3,063,154 regular registered voters as of the April 2026 Election Registration Board (ERB) hearing, reflecting a marginal increase of 0.13 percent from the May 2025 National and Local Elections.Comparative data from Commission on Elections (Comelec) NIR Regional Director Lionel Marco Castillano released Wednesday showed that while the region as a whole saw growth, provincial trends remained mixed ahead of the November 2 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).Negros Occidental remains the most voter-rich province in the region with 1,994,337 regular voters, despite a slight decrease of 0.37 percent from its May 2025 count of 2,001,732.That i...

The Tropical Storm Basyang damage in Sagay City* Ronald Villar photoThe Office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has allocated ₱10 million in financial assistance for residents affected by the shear line and Tropical Storm Basyang floods that struck northern Negros Occidental in February.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Wednesday, May 13, that the deed of donation for the funds arrived on Tuesday.Diaz said the provincial government will now consult with the affected local government units (LGUs) to determine the specific form of assistance they need."We will consult with the LGUs on what form of assistance they want," Diaz said.Covered by the assistance are seven local government units, with Sagay City being the worst hit, Diaz said.The other LGUs ar...

Dr. Girlie Pinongan*Negros Occidental Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan will retire from the service on Friday, May 15.Pinongan's service has already been extended twice, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Wednesday.When she retires an officer in-charge will be appointed to head the Provincial Health Office as the medical team has not reached a consensus yet on a possible successor, he said.Maybe in a month there will be a name that will come up as a possible successor to Pinongan, Diaz added.Meanwhile, the process for two PHO 1 positions has been completed, Diaz said. There are already candidates to be recommended to the governor, he said.One will take charge of public health services and the other will take charge of planning and proje...

Malogo River in EB Magalona*The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in the Negros Island Region will conduct a public hearing for the Negros Bulk Water Malogo River Project in Brgy. San Isidro, E.B. Magalona, on May 20.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz confirmed the schedule on Wednesday, noting that the hearing is a mandatory legal requirement for the Negros Occidental provincial government’s application for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).Diaz said that the provincial government remains committed to fulfilling all legal prerequisites for the project, regardless of whether it is implemented during the current administration or not."It is in preparation for the future," Diaz said.Earlier, a sep...