Business

Dec52025 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

21% of ‘Oplan Kontra Baha’ clearing target hit under Bacolod’s joint gov’t, private sector drive

Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Mayor Greg Gasataya, Undersecretary Charles Calima and other DPWH officials (r-l) at the "Oplan Kontra Baha" launching on Friday.* BCCO photo"Oplan Kontra Baha," a collaborative drive of the Bacolod City government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the private sector, was officially launched at Mambulok Creek on Friday morning, December 5. The initiative aims to clear critical waterways and mitigate the impact of flooding on communities throughout Bacolod City.Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said “with the support of our engineers, barangay leaders, and the thousands of river warriors deployed across the city, we are taking concrete steps to restore the flow of our rivers and reinforce the importan...

Dec52025 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

DTI leads seminar on competitiveness, innovation for Sagay’s creative sector

Business

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with the Sagay City LGU, led the “Elevating Competitiveness and Cultivating Innovation” seminar attended by nearly 50 representatives from the city’s creative sectors, academe, and local government at Balay Kauswagan on Dec. 3.DTI spearheaded discussions on strengthening local competitiveness and supporting the growth of creative industries, highlighting the sector’s role in economic development and innovation, a press release from Sagay City said.Jo-Dann Darong, Acting Director of DTI’s Bureau of Competitive Development, delivered the morning session on “Elevating Competitiveness and Cultivating Innovation Through Local Government Interventions: Policies, Plans, and Programs.”Darong emphasized the economic potential of...

Dec22025 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Bacolod government to build more than P10M animal shelter

Business, Top Stories

Mayor Greg Gasataya said a more than P10 million Bacolod City Veterinary Office and Animal Shelter Complex that can house up to 500 dogs will be built on a 2,000-square meter property in Barangay 35, Bacolod City.Gasataya on Monday, Dec. 1, announced the plan for the shelter, as animal rights advocates called for the shutdown the Bacolod City dog pound in Brgy 35 and the removal of the current city veterinarian, Dr. Maria Agueda Trinidad Flores dela Torre.“The dog pound in Bacolod has just become a mass grave for so many dogs and even cats again,” Pawssion Project said in a Facebook post on Friday, Nov. 28.The city government has allocated P10 million from its loan for the animal shelter and additional funds will be added to increase the area where animals can be accommodated, ...

Dec22025 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

SRA: Japanese technology transfer increases sugarcane yield by 20.8%

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The Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya and SRA Administrator Paul Azcona ride a deep planting machine at a demo farm in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.*The deep planting technology transfer from Japan has shown an increase in sugarcane yield by 20.8 percent from the average yield of 63.92 tons per hectare for manual planting to 77.23 tons per hectare, Sugar Regulatory Administrator Paul Azona said on Monday, Dec. 1.This is equivalent to 28.2 bags of sugar or an increase in income of P68,215 per hectare, according to a study implemented by SRA in collaboration with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural (JIRCAS), he said.Azcona and Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya rode a deep planting machine at a demo farm in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, which they...

Nov292025 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Globe strengthens on-ground response as Bacolod broadband restoration continues

Business

Globe is speeding up efforts to restore broadband services in Bacolod after Typhoon Tino damaged fiber lines and electrical posts across the city.Staying true to its Alagang Globe commitment, the company is prioritizing customers’ needs as teams work round the clock to bring connectivity back to homes.While the main network systems are operational, much of the impact remains in the lines that connect directly to homes, which took the heaviest hit during the storm. Globe teams continue to work across affected barangays with the support of LGUs and power partners to safely access and repair damaged routes, Globe said in a press release on Friday, Nov. 29.“We’re moving quickly to bring services back,” said Adonis Evangelista, Head of VisMin Broadband Field Operations at Globe. “...

Nov282025 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Typhoons damage to NegOcc agri P1B, alternative livelihoods for farmers sought

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Boulders and volcanic debris hit farmlands in La Castellana.* Richard Malihan photoThe Department of Agriculture is seeking alternative livelihoods for farmers in Negros Occidental whose fields were destroyed by recent typhoons that caused over P1 billion in agricultural damage, an official reported Friday, Nov. 28.DA Negros Island Region director Jose Albert Barrogo said some farms in La Carlota City and La Castellana have been totally devastated and can no longer be used for farming.The floods caused by the typhoons washed down large boulders and volcanic debris from the slopes of Mt. Kanlaon, which have covered farm lands, Barrogo said.Barrogo said he submitted a proposal to the DA head office for alternative livelihoods for the affected farmers.The proposal is for ...

Nov282025 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

CHO steps up drive vs. leptospirosis, nine deaths recorded in Bacolod

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The City Health Office has intensified its campaign to combat leptospirosis following the Tropical Depression Verbena flash floods that hit Bacolod City.The citywide distribution of free doxycycline and azithromycin, which began during Bagyong Tino, has been expanded due to the widespread exposure of residents to floodwater, the Bacolod City Communications Office said on Friday, Nov. 28.Wading in floodwater can cause leptospirosis because the Leptospira bacteria, shed in the urine of infected animals like rats, can easily enter the body through tiny, unnoticeable cuts and abrasions in the skin or through mucous membranes.Mayor Greg Gasataya has directed the CHO to sustain and broaden the prophylaxis initiative after Verbena submerged 33 barangays, compelling thousands of reside...

Nov282025 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Cargo vessel runs aground off Cadiz due to strong current

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A cargo vessel carrying 360 metric tons of coal ran aground off Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday morning, Nov. 27.The Coast Guard Sub-Station in Cadiz said it received the report at 6:45 a.m. from Joyvill Tangpus, captain of the Landing Craft Transport (LCT) vessel named “The Chairman” of Techmarine Logistics Inc.The Philippine Coast Guard District Southern Visayas reported that the vessel drifted into shallow waters while maneuvering to dock at the Cadiz Commercial Port.The ship’s captain told authorities that strong currents pushed the vessel toward a sandy seabed, causing it to run aground.Coast Guard personnel immediately proceeded to the area and secured the vessel for further evaluation.The Philippine Ports Authority in Cadiz was also notified about the ...

Nov282025 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

2 die in motorcycle crashes

Business, Top Stories

The accident in Silay City* photo courtesy of Paul Vincent CasipeTwo men died in motorcycle crashes in Negros Occidental on Thursday, Nov. 27.The first incident happened at about around 7 a.m. at the national highway in Brgy. Vista Alegre, Ilog, where motorcycle driver “Noni”, 63, was fatally injured.Police said he was driving a red Kawasaki Bajaj motorcycle with a sidecar and was heading north when he made a left turn along the highway.The maneuver brought his motorcycle into the path of a Toyota Innova traveling in the same direction.The vehicle, driven by “Nomar,” 45, of Sipalay City, struck the motorcycle’s sidecar.Responders brought the victim to the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City, but he was declared dead on arrival at 7:52 a.m.Both ...

Nov282025 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Most MPadilla schools to resume face-to-face classes starting Dec. 1

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The typhoon-hit ose Pepito Montilla Garcia Sr. National High School in Moises Padilla.* Joel de Vera Sr. photoThe local government of Moises Padilla is adopting the learning delivery modalities of the Department of Education (DepEd) for all its public schools starting Monday, December 1.Face-to-face classes in majority of schools will resume following the lifting of the temporary suspension imposed due to the impact of Tropical Depression Verbena, Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo said.Through Executive Order No. 252, Series of 2025, Garcia-Yulo formally approved the learning schedule submitted by DepEd Public Schools District Supervisor Gideon G. Panganiban, a press release from the town said Friday.The lifting of class suspension (EO 250) was based on the latest PAGASA rep...