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The Visayas Power Forum participants on Monday*There will be another increase in electricity rates for July, but Negros Electric and Power Corp. aims to cushion its impact  on consumers by spreading its payment over a six-month period.The expected  hike  this month is P1.70 per kWh  but  with the permission of the Energy Regulatory Commission  to spread payment over six months,  they will be able to charge an increase of only 20 centavos  in July, Neil Parcon, vice president for Corporate Energy Sourcing and Regulatory Affairs of Primelectric Holdings Inc., said.So, from a residential rate of P13.84/kWh in June, the amount will increase to P14.04, he said at the Visayas Power Forum on grid reliability and the electricity price outlook hel...

Instead of airplanes, Coscolluela said he prefers mobilizing an army of workers on the ground to conduct focused, targeted spraying.*SRA photoFormer Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Rafael Coscolluela expressed concern over the environmental impact of a proposed Negros-wide aerial spraying of chemical pesticides to combat red-striped soft scale insects attacking sugarcane fields."On paper, aerial spraying by airplane sounds good, but let us look at its practicality," Coscolluela said on Monday."What will be its effect on communities that might become unintended victims of the spraying, since they are saying chemical pesticides will be used?" he asked.He asked how the spraying can be kept within targeted farms when there is the  wind factor that must be considered....

Abang Lingkod  Rep. Manuel “Manman” Ko*Abang Lingkod  Rep. Manuel “Manman” Ko on Monday, July 13, called on the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Army, and all concerned authorities to conduct a swift, impartial, and thorough investigation into the killing of two persons in Barangay Gawahon, Victorias, on Friday.Ko, in a statement posted on the Abang Lingkod Facebook page, said he is calling on authorities to conduct the investigation “to ensure that the truth is established and that all those responsible are held fully accountable in accordance with the law.”Ka Cecil Estrella, spokesperson for the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-New People’s Army (RJPC-NPA), said in a statement on Sunday, July 12, that their Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) meted out the "death penalty"...

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod has approved a resolution expressing its strong support for pending legislative measures in the 20th Congress aimed at reducing the cost of solar panels, rooftop solar systems, and other renewable energy technologies.The resolution  authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito also appeals to Congress, through Deputy Speaker Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez, to prioritize the passage of bills that would make solar energy more affordable and accessible to Filipino households, businesses, schools, and government institutions.The measure cites the country’s persistently high electricity rates, among the highest in Southeast Asia, and recognizes the need to expand access to renewable energy as a practical solution to lowering electricity costs while ...

A 64-year-old widower was shot and killed inside his home by five unidentified armed men in a remote village in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental,  Monday morning, July 13, 2026.The victim, identified by authorities only as "A", died instantaneously after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds, the police reported.The five unidentified gunmen allegedly barged into the victim's residence at Sitio Maabo, Barangay San Isidro, and opened fire at around 9 a.m., the police reported. The victim was shot three times, with bullets hitting his chest, back, and right leg.The E.B. Magalona Municipal Police Station received a telephone call reporting the incident at  11 a.m. but due to the remote location, the team arrived at the crime scene at 3 p.m., the police report said.Fo...