Community

Jan272026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Dinagsa Festival ends with a bang

Dinagsa Queen Assia Jean Ur-Rehmam*Defying the dual challenges of Tropical Storm Ada and the ongoing sugar crisis, Cadiz City in Negros Occidental roared to a triumphant close as it concluded its 52nd Dinagsa Festival "with a bang."The 10-day festivities (January 16–26) culminated in the traditional Ati Dance Competition on Sunday, January 25. The city streets surged with life as the rhythmic beat of drums and high-energy choreography paid homage to Señor Santo Niño de Cadiz, the city’s patron and protector for over five decades.The festival’s signature event, "Lamhitanay sa Dalan"—frequently dubbed "colorful street chaos"—drew a massive crowd of approximately 300,000 revelers. The sea of people shared a singular, joyful goal: to be smeared with vibrant, non-toxic paints."I...

Jan262026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

CHIZ SEEKS WIDER PROTECTION BENEFITS FOR WORKERS IN POWER SECTOR

Press Release

After filing the VAT-free electricity to ease household costs, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed Senate Bill No. 498 to mandate insurance coverage and additional benefits for line workers who build, maintain, and repair the country’s electrical transmission and distribution systems. “They perform both critical and dangerous work,” Escudero said in the bill’s explanatory note. “Yet a number of them do so bereft of any form of coverage against death, accidents, illness, and other fortuitous events that could be sustained in the line of duty.” The proposed Line Workers Insurance and Benefits Act seeks to require private distribution utilities, electric cooperatives, and transmission or grid operators to provide insurance coverage and entitlements such as retire...

Jan222026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

SP unanimously urges increase in allowance of senior citizen, PWD association presidents

Press Release

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City has unanimously approved a resolution urging the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), the Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), and the Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), through Mayor Greg Gasataya, to increase the monthly allowance of the city’s Senior Citizen and PWD association presidents from ₱500 to ₱1,000.Authored by Councilor Caesar Z. Distrito, Chairperson of the SP Committee on PWD Affairs, and Councilor Celia Flor, Chairperson of the SP Committee on Senior Citizens, the measure highlights the critical role played by barangay-based association leaders in ensuring that government programs and services reach senior citizens and persons with disabilities efficiently, a press release said Thursday, ...

Jan202026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

The joys of dish gardening: Nature in small spaces

Community

For many urban Filipinos, limited space at home or in the office makes traditional gardening a challenge. But there is a simple, creative solution: dish gardening. This miniature form of landscaping, where plants are arranged in shallow containers, offers beauty, relaxation and a daily touch of nature even in the smallest corners.At the January General Assembly of the Negros Occidental Garden Club, held recently at the Acacia Hotel, Bacolod City, club president Nonoy Napao presented the joys of dish gardening to members.He highlighted how a shallow bowl, tray or glass dish can become a canvas for succulents, moss, pebbles and tropical ornamentals — creating a living centerpiece that fits neatly on a desk or windowsill, a press release from the club said.Beyond aesthetics, Napao...

Jan202026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

68th Batch finish NFSP skills training

Community

The NFSP Skills Training Center Batch 68 graduates with NFSP officers and guests* The 68th Batch of farm workers’ dependents and out-of-school youth finished their technical skills training in different TESDA-accredited courses from the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) Sugar Workers Foundation Technical Skills and Livelihood Training Center at Bacolod City recently.Jaime G. Golez, NFSP Vice-President for Western Visayas, welcomed the graduates, their parents and guests, a press release from NFSP said.NFSP Batch 29 graduate Alyssa Tupas Anderson, who now works as head of the radiology department at a hospital in Alberta, Canada, was the guest speaker. After finishing her computer course at the NFSP Skills Training Center, Anderson worked as a call center ag...

Jan122026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

CHIZ: LIFTING OF 12% VAT ON POWER TO HELP HOUSEHOLDS, BUSINESSES WITHOUT HARMING FISCAL STABILITY

Press Release

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said electricity sales should be exempt from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT), saying this targeted relief in the power sector under his proposed bill would have immediate impact and ease household and industrial burdens without undermining fiscal stability.Escudero acknowledged the recent remarks of Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who cautioned against proposals to revert the expanded VAT to 10 percent owing to the government’s P1.6 trillion debt, and emphasized that his measure differs fundamentally as it does not reduce VAT across the board but instead zeroes in on electricity, a sector where relief is most urgently needed.“While broad tax cuts may strain government revenues, lifting the tax on electricity is a fiscally responsible choice...

Jan82026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

CHMSU faculty member clinches best paper in int’l confab in Thailand

Community

Prof. Ronora Malaga receives the Best Paper award*Carlos Hilado Memorial State University reached another international milestone as a faculty member of the College of Education won Best Paper in the 1st Asia Pacific Conference on Engineering, Education, Social Science and Humanities (APCEESH) held at Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam, in Thailand, in December.Prof. Ronora Malaga won Best Paper for her research titled "The Diaspora of Filipino Teachers Leaving their Home Country for Work in the United States", a CHMSU press release Tuesday, Jan 6, said. Prof. Wanny Jaron also presented her paper on "Faculty Engagement in Community Extension Programs: Examining Personal Factors, Institutional Support, and Stakeholder Collaboration in a State University."The first APCEES...

Jan72026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Himamaylan VM commends SP secretary Antolo on Milestone Bar Exam success

Community

The Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Himamaylan, headed by Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao, today congratulated Julie Anne V. Antolo, SP Secretary, for passing the 2025 Philippine Bar Examinations.“This achievement marks a historic moment for the City Council, as Antolo becomes the first incumbent Secretary of the Himamaylan SP to successfully hurdle the esteemed Bar Exams while in active service,” a statement issued by the Himamaylan SP said.Antolo obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science-Psychology at the University of the Philippines Visayas and her Juris Doctor at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos.Antolo has been the cornerstone of the Sanggunian's legislative operations since her appointment as legislative officer in 2019 and her unanimous ele...

Jan62026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

33 USLS law students take oath as law student practitioners

Community

Thirty-three Juris Doctor students of the University of St. La Salle (USLS) College of Law formally took their oath as law student practitioners at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City on Tuesday, Jan. 6.The oath-taking ceremony was administered by Regional Trial Court (RTC) No. 47 Presiding Judge and Hall of Justice - Bacolod Executive Judge Therese Blanche Bolunia, pursuant to Rule 138-A of the Rules of Court, which governs the Clinical Legal Education Program (CLEP).The program authorizes qualified law students to engage in supervised legal practice upon certification by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.Present during the ceremony were USLS Law Dean Rhodora Lo and Assistant Dean June Steve Barredo, and supervising lawyers Jocelle Batapa-Sigue and Keith Anthony Balbi...

Dec262025 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Riverside is Now Platinum

Press Release

The Riverside Medical Center, Inc. (RMCI) has officially been granted Accreditation Platinum status by the Accreditation Agrement Canada under the Qmentum International Accreditation Program.With the strong support of RMCI Management, led by President & CEO Genesis Goldi Golingan, Riverside successfully underwent a rigorous and comprehensive accreditation process. This milestone was made possible after an in-depth in-house self-assessment spearheaded by the Total Quality Division, through the highly capable Mr. Rodel Llave.Following this, both local and international peer surveyors conducted an on-site evaluation, thoroughly assessing Riverside’s leadership, governance, clinical programs, and services against Accreditation Canada’s internationally recognized standards for q...