Carla P. Gomez

Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at the launching of the Biodiesel Project.*Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced on Monday, March 30, that he is scaling up a Biodiesel Project to cover more barangays in Bacolod City to help mitigate the rising costs of fuel and create livelihoods. Biodiesel, a renewable biofuel seen as an alternative to fossil fuel, is produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, waste cooking oils, and lipids of yeast and microalgae. Benitez highlighted the expansion of the project during its launch at the Community Center at Las Palmas Subdivision in Barangay Taculing, noting that the initiative addresses the urgent need for cheap fuel among fisherfolk and farmers. The project also serves as a solution to...

Deputy House Speaker Alfredo Abelardo Benitez  (left) and House Speaker Faustino Dy III* The House of Representatives is holding a series of joint committee hearings next week to consolidate government action and craft a comprehensive legislative response to the escalating Middle East crisis, with a focus on immediate relief, economic stability, and long-term resilience. Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday, March 30, that he, the chairmen of various House committees, and House Speaker Faustino Dy III met on Friday to discuss the holding of these hearings during the session break after Holy Week. Benitez explained that they will determine if the appropriated budget is enough to respond to the oil crisis and will also discuss a...

The public is advised to take precautions against heat strokes on Holy Week.*Andrew Altarejos file photoThe Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Emergency Operations Center is going on Blue Alert for Holy Week It will be on Blue Alert from Wednesday to Monday, April 1 to 6. Blue Alert is a heightened state of readiness where disaster agencies activate their operations centers and put at least half of their personnel on standby to respond to emergencies. Irene Bel Ploteña, PDRRMO head, said areas of convergence such as churches and procession routes, as well as beaches and resorts will be on the watch list. She advised those participating in religious activities to take precautions against extreme heat and to stay hydrated. Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abel...

The spent wash spill in October 2025.* The Universal Robina Corporation (URC) Distillery in Bais City, Negros Oriental, has been allowed to temporarily operate at 60 to 70 percent of its capacity after a huge volume of its spent wash spilled into the Tañon Strait in October last year.  The Pollution Adjudication Board granted a temporary lifting order that has allowed the distillery to operate for three months starting December, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Negros Island Region Director Charlie Fabre said on Monday, March 30. The distillery produces ethanol from molasses.  The three-month permit to operate expires this March, and URC is  requesting for an extension of the temporary lifting order, he said.  URC’s...

Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District has filed the Resilient Economy and Stabilization for Crisis and Urgent Emergencies (RESCUE) Act, a measure that seeks to establish a more comprehensive and permanent system for faster, more proactive economic crisis response, on Friday, March 27.The RESCUE Act institutionalizes a whole-of-government approach to crisis preparedness, ensuring that systems are already in place before emergencies strike, he said.At the core of the proposed bill is a Bayanihan Economic Stabilization Fund with a target of at least Php 50 billion, which can be mobilized once a national emergency is declared, with assistance required to be deployed within 72 hours, he said.The bill also proposes the creation of a National Economic Resilience Council ...

Comelec registration in La Libertad, Negros Oriental.*New voter registrants in the Negros Island Region increased to 172,680 as of March 28, the Commission on Elections NIR reported on Sunday, March 29.The figure increased with 7,313 new applications in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor from March 23 to 28, the Comelec said.Negros Occidental remains the primary driver of registration volume, accounting for 118,302 of the total running count.Last week the Negros Occidental Comelec processed 5,624 applications, with a nearly even split between male (2,763) and female (2,861) registrants.Negros Oriental followed with a running total of 51,395 applications, including 1,496 new entries from the past week, while Siquijor added 193 new applications to reach a t...

The Bacolod City government is set to host an Earth Hour 2026 program at the Bacolod City Government Center lobby from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 28.The event serves as an opportunity for the community to come together and renew its commitment to the environment, sustainability, and a greener future for the next generation, a Bacolod City government Facebook post said.The gathering is designed to be more than just a formal program, it is intended as a reminder that caring for the Earth begins with communities that are willing to listen, learn, and act together, it said.Through a series of messages, performances, and presentations of local environmental initiatives, the event will highlight how every Bacolodnon can become an active part of the solution to climate ch...