Carla P. Gomez

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Benitez to aid kin of earthquake casualties

Philippine Red Cross Emergency Response Units assist in search and rescue operations at a collapsed Savemore structure in Barangay Calumpang, General Santos City following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.*PRC photoDeputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, June 9, that he is planning to directly provide assistance to the families whose relatives died in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani in Mindanao.The death toll had reached 38 in Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) and Region 11 (Davao Region) as of Tuesday, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.In Region 12, the OCD said 456 people were injured while four were missing.Meanwhile, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Negros Occidental provincial government is just waiting for the OC...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Benitez presents flood resiliency roadmap for Bacolod, targets P6B budget

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Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez signs commitment pledge to follow and implement the flood resiliency roadmap.*Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez presented a detailed “whole-of-government, whole-of-society” roadmap toward flood resiliency in Bacolod City on Tuesday, June 9, the long-term implementation of which is expected to cost approximately P6 billion.Benitez presented the roadmap during the 3rd and Culminating Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit, which was attended by Bacolod City officials, representatives from national and local government agencies, civil society organizations, and private sector stakeholders at Maria Kucina Maria in Bacolod City.Following the presentation, participants signed a commitment pledge to follow and...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

PNP probes alleged recruitment extortion, says PNP badge not for sale

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The Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) has launched a dual criminal and administrative investigation into police personnel accused of extorting money from a hopeful recruit, sparking a stern warning from leadership that the "PNP badge is not for sale."The probe follows a complaint filed with the Bacolod City Police Office, where a PNP applicant alleged that a police personnel demanded and received cash in exchange for entry into the service. The complainant stated that the suspect later returned to demand even more money.Authorities are urging other potential victims of such recruitment scams to come forward.PBrig. Gen. Romano V. Cardiño, PRO NIR regional director, emphasized that the recruitment process is strictly merit-based, governed by transparency and e...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

New PrimeWater owner to modernize services in Bacolod, Hollero new BACIWA general manager, Benitez says

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Valerie Anne Hollero*The new owner of PrimeWater is set to undertake a modernization program to improve water services in Bacolod City, Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez announced on Tuesday, June 9.He also announced that Valerie Anne Hollero, the former regional vice president of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. in Western Visayas, is the new general manager of the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA).Crystal Bridges Holding Corp., owned by retail tycoon Lucio Co, bought PrimeWater from billionaire Manuel Villar Jr.The new owner will meet with BACIWA officials on June 16 to present a modernization program for the Bacolod water system, Benitez said.They will discuss improvements geared toward ensuring 24/7, high-pressure, quality water,...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Common coalition candidate for NegOcc governor pushed, no decision yet: Albee

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Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (right).* Richard Malihan file photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is pushing for a coalition candidate for governor of Negros Occidental in 2028, but no final decision has been made yet, Deputy House Speaker Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, June 9.“There is no final choice for 2028, we would like to keep it at that,” Benitez said following a meeting of the leaders of Love Negros and the United Negros Alliance on Monday.Benitez said present at the meeting aside from him and the governor were Negros Occidental representatives Alfredo Marañón III (2nd District), Javier Miguel Benitez (3rd District), Jeffrey Ferrer (4th District), Emilio Yulo (5th District), Mercedes Alvarez (6th District), and Manuel Frederick Ko (Aban...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Capitol to give cash incentives to winning Negrense Palaro athletes this week

Sports, Top Stories

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson during the sendoff of the Palarong Pambansa athletes in May.* Richard Malihan photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government will distribute cash incentives this week to the province's winning athletes from the recent Palarong Pambansa.Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson announced that gold medalists will receive ₱15,000 each, silver medalists will get ₱8,000 each, and bronze medalists will take home ₱5,000.Athletes who won in team events will also receive their respective incentives individually.Lacson expressed satisfaction with the delegation's performance, particularly in athletics. He attributed this success to the provincial government’s dedicated athletics program based at the Panaad Stadium."The results show we should continue with i...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

ASAP XP draws more than 13,000 to Victorias City Coliseum

Lifestyle

ABS-CBN Studios brought ASAP XP to the heart of Negros Occidental on Sunday, June 7, staging two back-to-back shows that packed the Victorias City Coliseum and marked one of the largest live entertainment events ever held in the city.More than 40 ABS-CBN artists performed across the noon and evening shows, led by Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Martin Nievera, Ogie Alcasid, Lani Misalucha, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Erik Santos, Angeline Quinto, and Jolina Magdangal, alongside younger acts including Belle Mariano, Donny Pangilinan, and BGYO, while Rock icon Bamboo joined the 7 p.m. show.According to data from ABS-CBN, crowd estimates by the Philippine National Police - Victorias placed attendance at more than 6,000 for the 12 noon show and more than 7,000 for the evening show, filling the venue at...

Jun92026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

NegOcc prov’l government to maintain 4-day workweek, Lacson leaves LGUs to decide own schedules

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The Negros Occidetal Capitol all set for Independence Day.* CPG photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government will continue with its four-day compressed workweek, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, June 9.He said it will be up to the town and city governments of Negros Occidental to decide what work schedule to adopt. “It will be their call," he said.The provincial government will keep the four-day workweek schedule because "our personnel have gotten used to a three-day rest period, which I think personally is a big help to our well-being," Lacson said.Lacson said they will observe its long-term effectiveness.The Negros Occidental provincial government went into a four-day workweek effective March 16 as part of energy conservation protocols mandated b...

Jun82026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

20 returning Negrense OFWs get P1-M livelihood support from OWWA

Community

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (center) with officials of the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration during the turnover of PHP1 million in cash assistance to 50 former overseas Filipino workers.*PNA/Nanette Guadalquiver photoFifty former overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, received a total of PHP1 million in cash assistance under the Balik-Pinas! Balik-Hanapbuhay! Program of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Monday, JUne 8.Each beneficiary was granted PHP20,000 as start-up or additional capital for a livelihood project as part of the package intended to provide immediate relief to returning member-OFWs, during the 2026 Migrant Workers Day program held at SM City Bacolod A...

Jun82026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Guv: NegOcc ready to send rescue teams, aid to earthquake hit Mindanao

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The earthquake toppled this building in General Santos Monday morning.*Philippine Red Cross photoNegros Occidental is prepared to send its trained Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue (CSSR) teams to earthquake-hit areas in Mindanao, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, July 8.“We are just waiting for the augmentation requests from the Office of Civil Defense,” he said.“Financial aid will follow after we get more information about damages and the number of people affected,” he said.Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said we do not know the extent of the damage yet, but local government units should also help the earthquake-hit areas.The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the number of fatalities from the m...