Carla P. Gomez

May62026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Bacolod police arrest woman with P340,000 worth of shabu

Police operatives arrested a 22-year-old woman classified as a High Value Individual (HVI) and seized approximately P340,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Barangay 3, Bacolod City, early Wednesday morning, May 6.The suspect, identified only by the alias “Mimi,” was apprehended at around 3:13 a.m. in Purok Lubi after intelligence reports suggested she had allegedly taken over the illegal drug trade from her husband, the police reported.The operation was spearheaded by the City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) of the Bacolod City Police Office, with support from the City Intelligence Unit and Police Station 2.During the sting, authorities recovered eight heat-sealed plastic sachets containing roughly 50 grams of white crystalline substance, along with the P...

May62026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Toboso reverting to 5-day work week to improve service efficiency: Jaojoco

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The municipality of Toboso in Negros Occidental will return to the regular five-day work week starting May 11.Mayor Richard Jaojoco announced the transition on Wednesday, May 6, citing the need for improved operational efficiency.The mayor said the 4-day compressed work week had created "operational bottlenecks," which ultimately slowed down the delivery of essential services and hindered the municipality's overall progress."More services can be provided in a standard eight-hour day than in the two extra hours added to a four-day schedule," Jaojoco said, emphasizing that the return to the 5-day schedule will better serve the public's needs.*

May62026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Impact of wind energy project in Bago on migratory bird paths under evaluation

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The impact of a wind energy project in Bago City, Negros Occidental, on known migratory bird paths is being evaluated, former governor Rafael “Lito” Coscolluela, provincial consultant for environment and energy, said on Wednesday, May 6.They have asked the Philippine Biodiversity and Conservation Foundation’s help in determining its impact, he said.Bago-Negros Energy Corp. has already obtained a resolution of no objection for its 150 MW wind power project from the barangays. The project is expected to cover Barangay Calumangan, Napoles, Taloc, Sampinit, Busay, Balingasag and Lag-asan in Bago City.The provincial government has not issued a resolution of no objection (RONO) yet as the submission of the reports on the results of hearings on the project are being awaited, Coscol...

May62026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

PRO NIR intensifies security for PRISAA games in Bacolod

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The Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) is officially shifting into high gear for the National Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) 2026, rolling out an intensified security blanket to protect the games scheduled in Bacolod City on May 9 to15.A total of 276 personnel from the Bacolod City Police Office have been strategically deployed to ensure sufficient manpower and operational readiness across all key areas, the PRO NIR announced on Wednesday, May 6.These personnel are assigned to critical functions, including billeting security, area security for playing venues, covert security, convoy security, Quick Reaction Teams (QRT), EOD/K9 units, and standby investigators.Additional augmentation from the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO) ...

May52026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Javi files ‘TUBO Act’ to overhaul sugar industry, protect farmers

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Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez after filing the “TUBO Act of 2026” bill at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.*Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) filed House Bill No. 9088 on Tuesday, May 5, seeking a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s sugar industry to protect farmers from market volatility and over-importation.Dubbed the “TUBO Act of 2026” (Tunay na Ugnayan, Buhay, at Oportunidad sa Asukal), the measure proposes sweeping amendments to the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015 to stabilize production and supply.Benitez said that the legislation aims to establish a more responsive, data-driven, and inclusive framework for the sugar industry, which remains a vital source of livelihood for rural communities.The bill addresse...

May52026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Don’t be complacent, you can’t outrun an eruption at Kanlaon, residents told

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The restive Kanlaon Volcano*One cannot outrun a volcanic eruption and get to safety in time, a Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) official warned on Tuesday.Residents living near Kanlaon Volcano should not be complacent and must avoid entering the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ), Ma. Antonia Bornas, chief of the Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division of PHIVOLCS, said on Tuesday, May 5.“When we say avoid the 4-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ), we mean it day to day, because any time there could be an eruption,” she said.She also said residents living within the Pyroclastic Density Current (PDC) hazard zones outside the PDZ should also be prepared to evacuate at any time.“We must be prepared at all times for a possible...

May52026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Juvenile King Cobra emerges from resort toilet bowl in DSB

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The King Cobra in the toilet bowl at a resort in Don Salvador Benedicto.* screengrab from video of Dranreb TeodosoFive friends on vacation at a resort in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, got the surprise of their lives when a juvenile King Cobra’s head popped out of the toilet bowl in their bathroom. Dranreb Teodoso, an executive assistant at a venture capital firm, posted a video of the King Cobra in the toilet bowl taken on April 28. He said at first he thought it was a water snake, but when he posted the video in a group chat of reptile enthusiasts, it was confirmed that it was a King Cobra. Teodoso said their priest friend had just used the toilet when he saw a dark object inside the bowl. The priest thought he had...

May52026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

TUCP pushes bill to democratize SRA Board with labor, farmer seats

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TUCP President Raymond Democrito Mendoza and Vice President Roland C. de la Cruz (right)*The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has intensified its call for the immediate overhaul of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), citing an "avalanche" of imported sugar and unregulated substitutes as proof of the agency's failure to protect local producers.House Deputy Speaker and TUCP Party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza is pushing for the urgent passage of House Bill No. 8376, which seeks to democratize the SRA Board by institutionalizing seats for workers, farmers, and agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).The move comes as the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) spearheads a massive signature campaign demanding the...

May52026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Two groups hit back at Sugar Council, reaffirm support for DA chief, Sugar Board

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“We call on all stakeholders to move forward with responsibility and unity", UNIFED Chairman Manuel Lamata said.*Ronnie Baldonado file photoTwo major sugar federations on Tuesday, May 5, accused the Sugar Council of "counterproductive agitation" and sabotaging industry unity by seeking to oust Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel and the current Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) leadership.The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) issued a joint statement reaffirming their full support for Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona and the Sugar Board members, arguing that the recent drop in sugar prices is a result of systemic "structural gaps" rather than a ...

May42026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Industry stakeholders reiterate demand for ouster of Sugar Board members

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The industry stakeholders are also urging the government to immediately implement a government-funded “Purchase and Park” program to temporarily reduce excess sugar inventory.*Ronnie Baldonado file photoA massive coalition of sugar industry stakeholders issued a manifesto on Monday, May 4, calling for the replacement of the Sugar Board members and the immediate implementation of a government sugar-buying program.They also called for adherence to the Department of Agriculture’s declaration of “no sugar importation for 2026” and the resumption of congressional investigations into the collapse of millgate prices of sugar.The manifesto signatories include the Sugar Council, represented by officials of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc., the National ...