Negros Oriental

Aug192026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

NegOr orders province-wide school security review after Zamboanga shooting

Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria*Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria has ordered a province-wide review and strengthening of security measures in and around schools following the shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University campus that left two students dead on Tuesday, Aug. 18.In a statement, Sagarbarria directed concerned provincial offices to coordinate with the Philippine National Police, Department of Education, component cities and municipalities, and school administrators to assess existing security arrangements and emergency response procedures.The governor said the review should cover school access and security protocols, coordination with law enforcement and local authorities, security visibility where necessary, and preparedness for emergencies.“We m...

Aug182026 by Nanette GuadalquiverNo Comments

Emergency calls to SAFE NIR Dial 911 lead to arrest of 53 individuals

Negros Oriental

Emergency calls made to the SAFE NIR Dial 911 of Police Regional Office - Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) led to the arrest of 53 individuals for various violations since the program was launched on June 4.As of Aug. 16, a total of 364 calls were received, establishing a more direct and accessible link between the public and the police.“Most of the cases were alarm and scandal,” PRO-NIR spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong said on Tuesday, August 18.These calls were logged by the respective police offices of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and Bacolod City.The SAFE NIR Dial 911 is one of the flagship initiatives launched in the first 100 days of PRO-NIR Director Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño.SAFE, which stands for Seen, Appreciated, Felt, and Extraordinary, ...

Aug182026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

5 homes hit by fire in Dumaguete

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

Five residential structures were destroyed by a fire in Poblacion 1, or Tinago, Dumaguete City on Monday morning, Aug. 17, the Bureau of Fire Protection said.The Dumaguete City Fire Station received the report at around 11:35 a.m. and dispatched firefighters a minute later.Firefighters arrived at the area at around 11:37 a.m., with the fire already fully developed.The blaze was raised to third alarm at around 11:39 a.m. by Dumaguete City Fire Marshal Chief Insp. Erwin Johannes Gimotea.The BFP said four two-storey houses and one one-storey residential structure were involved in the fire.The fire was placed under control at around 11:58 a.m. and was declared out at 12:07 p.m.No casualties or injuries were reported.Firefighters from Dumaguete, Sibulan, Valencia, Ba...

Aug172026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Distribution of P58.1M to 5,744 RSSI-hit small farmers in NegOr starts

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

The ECT payout in Mabinay Saturday.*DSWD NIR photoThe Department of Social Welfare and Development has begun distributing emergency cash transfers (ECT) to small farmers in Negros Oriental whose sugarcane crops were damaged by Red-Stripe Soft Scale Insects (RSSI), DSWD Regional Director Arwin Razo said Monday, August 17.Distribution of P10,125 each to 871 farmers in Canlaon City and 1,004 in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, started Saturday. Razo said more Mabinay farmers will be covered during the second payout.In Negros Oriental, an initial 5,744 small farmers are scheduled to receive a combined ₱58.1 million this week. The recipient list covers farmers from Amlan, Bais City, Bayawan City, Jimalalud, Pamplona, Siaton, Tayasan, and Zamboanguita.Meanwhile, a third bat...

Aug172026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

93,416 children vaccinated vs. measles-rubella in NIR, 344,170 remain

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

More than 93,000 children have received measles-rubella vaccines across the Negros Island Region during the first five days of the “Ligtas Tigdas” campaign, but more than 344,000 others remain to be reached before the vaccination drive ends on Aug. 28.The Department of Health-Negros Island Region Center for Health Development reported Sunday, Aug. 16, that 93,416 children aged six to 59 months were vaccinated from Aug. 10 to 14. The figure represents about 21.3 percent of the region’s 437,586 eligible children, as DOH-NIR data showed that 344,170 children had yet to receive the supplemental vaccine.Negros Occidental recorded the highest coverage among the four major areas in the region, with 67,987 of its 244,757 target children vaccinated, equivalent to 27.8 percent.B...

Aug172026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Cops seize P211.5M in drugs, smuggled cigarettes in Cardiño’s first 100 days at PRO-NIR

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño*More than P211 million worth of suspected illegal drugs and smuggled cigarettes were seized while 1,161 wanted persons were arrested during the first 100 days of Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño as director of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region.PRO-NIR said its operations from May 8 to Aug. 16 yielded about P136.01 million worth of suspected illegal drugs and P75.47 million worth of allegedly smuggled cigarettes, for a combined estimated value of P211.48 million.Police conducted 761 anti-drug operations during the period, resulting in the arrest of 822 persons and the confiscation of 19,975.81 grams, or nearly 20 kilograms, of suspected shabu and 1,422 grams of marijuana.The seized drugs had a combined estimated standard drug price of P136,00...

Aug142026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

PDEA arrests high-value drug target, seizes P340K shabu in Sibulan

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

A 30-year-old man classified as a high-value drug target was arrested after authorities seized about P340,000 worth of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, early Friday, Aug. 14.The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Oriental identified the suspect only by the alias “Botchoy,” a married resident of Brgy. Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City.The operation was conducted in Purok 4, Brgy. Boloc-boloc, Sibulan.Authorities recovered six heat-sealed sachets containing about 50 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price of P340,000.The suspect was placed under policecustody and is facing charges for alleged violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*

Aug132026 by Judy F. PartlowNo Comments

Food, transport, education drive NIR inflation uptrend to 5.6%

Negros Oriental

he Negros Island Region's inflation for July accelerated, while Negros Oriental's rate decelerated in the same month, the Philippine Statistics Authority said.*PNA/Mary Judaline F. Partlow photoFood, transport, and education services drove the Negros Island Region's (NIR) inflation uptrend to 5.6 percent in July from 4.9 percent in June, while Negros Oriental's rate decelerated to 6 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday, August 13.Chief statistical specialist and head of PSA - Negros Oriental, Ariel T. Fortuito, said during a press conference that the July inflation rate for all income households in the province was pegged at 6 percent."This is slightly lower than the 6.2 percent inflation rate in June, although much higher than the -0.3 percent infla...

Aug132026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

NegOr police seize P15.2M in smuggled cigarettes, arrest 31 wanted persons in 10 days

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

Negros Oriental police seized more than P15.2 million worth of allegedly smuggled cigarettes, arrested 31 wanted persons and confiscated more than P532,000 worth of suspected shabu in operations conducted during the first 10 days of August.The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office said 11 operations against cigarette smuggling from Aug. 1 to 10 resulted in the arrest of three persons and the confiscation of items with an estimated value of P15,217,770.Police also conducted 31 operations against wanted persons, resulting in the arrest of 31 individuals.Those arrested included one regional-level most wanted person, three provincial-level most wanted persons, two city or municipal-level most wanted persons and 25 other wanted persons.In its anti-illegal drug campaign, polic...

Aug132026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

LTO-NIR serves show cause order over fatal Zamboanguita road crash

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

The fatal road crash.*LTO photoThe Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region served a show cause order on the registered owner of a vehicle involved in a road crash that killed an 80-year-old person in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.LTO-NIR said personnel of its Regional Law Enforcement Service-Intelligence and Investigation Unit served the order at around 10:09 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, in Dumaguete City.The administrative action stemmed from the fatal road incident along the national highway in Zamboanguita.Investigators initially went to the registered owner’s residence in Brgy. Ajong, Sibulan, but were informed that the respondent and her relatives were not there.With the assistance of barangay authorities, LTO personnel later coordinated with the registered ...