Negros Oriental

Oct12026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

PRO-NIR trains 55 participants on cases involving minors exposed to violent extremism

Community, Negros Oriental, Police, Top Stories

The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region has opened a three-day seminar-workshop in Bacolod City on handling cases involving minors who may be exposed to nihilistic violent extremism and harmful online content.The activity began Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Food Terminal Market along North Capitol Road and gathered 55 participants from law enforcement and partner government agencies.PRO-NIR said the training is intended to strengthen the ability of personnel to identify, prevent and respond to cases involving minors exposed to violent extremist ideologies.The seminar includes discussions on online environments where minors may encounter content promoting hatred, violence or acts that could cause serious harm.Participants are also being trained to recognize possible in...

Sep302026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

P100M dialysis center opens at Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital

Community, Negros Oriental, Top Stories

A P100-million hemodialysis center offering free dialysis services to patients has opened at the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH) in Dumaguete City.Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria led the inauguration and blessing of the NOPH Dialysis Center on Tuesday, Sept. 29, before the facility began receiving its first patients.The center currently has 12 dialysis machines, with the number expected to increase to 25 by October.Another 25 machines are planned for the second floor of the facility next year, which would bring its total capacity to 50 dialysis machines.Sagarbarria said the dialysis center was one of his administration’s flagship projects and was intended to make renal care more accessible to Negros Oriental residents.The provincial government said patients will ...

Sep302026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Negros Oriental returns to 4-day workweek amid rising fuel, energy costs

Business, Community, Negros Oriental, Top Stories

The Negros Oriental provincial government has reimplemented a four-day compressed workweek as a temporary energy conservation and cost-saving measure amid renewed increases in fuel prices and continuing energy cost volatility.Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria issued Executive Order No. 58, Series of 2026, which took effect Monday, Sept. 28.Under the arrangement, covered provincial government employees will report onsite from Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break from noon to 1 p.m.Employees will work 10 hours a day to complete the required 40-hour workweek, while Friday will generally be designated as a non-working day subject to service requirements.Job order and contract of service personnel will follow the same compressed schedule without re...

Sep282026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Love triangle eyed in La Libertad barangay captain’s killing, suspect arrested in Bacolod

Negros Oriental, Police, Top Stories

Police are investigating an alleged love triangle as the possible motive in the killing of a barangay captain in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, following the arrest of the suspect in Bacolod City on Saturday, Sept. 26.Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO) Acting Director Col. Jonathan Abella said investigators are looking into a personal grudge involving the victim, Brgy. Kansumandig Captain Dennis Jimpayan, 40, and the suspect, Gilbert Bellena, 32.Abella said initial information indicated that the two men may have been involved with the same woman, who was reportedly Jimpayan’s live-in partner.He said investigators have obtained information from the woman, who remained at the investigation office for further questioning.Abella said police have found no indicatio...

Sep282026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

3 gas station workers arrested over alleged illegal fuel trading in Sibulan

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

Three gas station employees were arrested for allegedly selling petroleum products without the required Department of Energy (DOE) certification in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Friday, Sept. 25.The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said its Negros Oriental Provincial Field Unit, together with the Sibulan Municipal Police Station, conducted the operation at a gas station in Brgy. Bolocboloc from 9:20 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Authorities confiscated two fuel dispensing machines containing gasoline with an estimated value of P1.3 million.According to the CIDG, the three employees were caught selling petroleum products despite the gas station’s alleged lack of a Certificate of Compliance from the DOE.The suspects were arrested for alleged violation of Batas Pambansa Bl...

Sep272026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Negros Oriental, Siquijor workers to get P42 daily wage hike starting Oct. 14

Business, Community, Negros Oriental, Top Stories

Minimum wage earners in Negros Oriental and Siquijor will receive a P42 daily wage increase starting Oct. 14, 2026, under a wage adjustment approved for private sector workers covered by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) VII.Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino announced the increase on Saturday, Sept. 26, saying it is equivalent to an additional P1,092 a month.The wage adjustment also covers Cebu and Bohol, with the Department of Labor and Employment estimating that 337,476 workers across the four provinces will benefit.Although Negros Oriental and Siquijor are part of the Negros Island Region (NIR), they remain covered by RTWPB VII for minimum wage-setting purposes, while Negros Occidental remains under RTWPB VI in Western Visayas.The wage adjustme...

Sep242026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

NegOr solon offers P100,000 reward for information on barangay captain’s killing

Negros Oriental, Police, Top Stories

Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Emmanuel “MM” Limkaichong Iway has offered a P100,000 reward to anyone who can provide accurate information that will help authorities identify and arrest those responsible for the killing of a barangay captain in La Libertad, Negros Oriental.In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sept. 24, Iway called for justice for Dennis Jimpayan, the barangay captain of Brgy. Kansumandig, who was shot dead on Wednesday morning, Sept. 23.Iway described Jimpayan as a close friend who had served his community for more than 20 years.The congressman said he had witnessed Jimpayan's dedication to public service and his willingness to assist residents regardless of the time of day.Iway said he would personally provide the P100,000 reward to anyone who could give acc...

Sep242026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Dead dolphin found on Guihulngan shoreline, boat propeller suspected

Negros Oriental, Police, Top Stories

A dead dolphin was found along the shoreline of Brgy. Hilaitan in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, with initial findings indicating that its injuries may have been caused by a pump boat propeller.The Guihulngan City Public Information Office reported on Wednesday, Sept. 23, that residents alerted authorities after noticing a foul odor coming from the shoreline.Personnel from the City Agriculture Office's Fisheries Section, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Philippine Coast Guard and Bantay Dagat responded to the area.Barangay officials and members of the City Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council also joined the inspection.The responding team found the dolphin's carcass along the shoreline and conducted an initial examination to determine its...

Sep242026 by Mary Judaline PartlowNo Comments

Power producer upgrades NegOr plant’s geothermal capacity to 126 MW

Business, Negros Oriental, Top Stories

First Gen Corporation is undertaking a modernization project that will increase the installed capacity of its Palinpinon-1 geothermal power plant in Valencia, Negros Oriental, from 112.5 megawatts (MW) to 126 MW.The project, being implemented by First Gen’s geothermal arm, Energy Development Corporation (EDC), involves replacing the plant’s three 37.5-MW turbine-generator units with three modern 42-MW units, EDC said in a statement Wednesday.The upgrade is expected to add 13.5 MW to First Gen’s renewable energy portfolio while allowing the facility to generate more electricity using the same volume of geothermal steam, without additional steam extraction.Noel Tan, head of the Southern Negros Geothermal Project (SNGP), said that the modernization demonstrates EDC’s efforts to im...

Sep232026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Barangay captain shot in La Libertad, special probe team formed

Negros Oriental, Police, Top Stories

The barangay captain of Kansumandig in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, was shot in a hinterland area of the town early Wednesday morning, Sept. 23, prompting police to create a special investigation task group to investigate the attack.The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region said the barangay captain was traveling home from Brgy. Pacuan aboard his motorcycle at around 5:20 a.m. when the incident occurred in Sitio Mabilog, Brgy. Kansumandig.Nearby residents reportedly heard several gunshots and later found the barangay captain lying along the road, while the assailant or assailants had already fled.The incident was reported to the La Libertad Municipal Police Station at around 5:50 a.m.Police said the crime scene was about 30 kilometers into the hinterland.Investig...