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The spokesman of the mayor on Sunday, May 12, categorically denied that Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has already decided on the position he will run for in the 2025 polls. Caesar Distrito, the mayor’s spokesman, issued the denial following claims that he had peddled the story that Benitez would switch positions with Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya, and that a deal had already been reached. The switch would mean Gasataya would run for mayor and Benitez for congressman in 2025. “I categorically deny that Mayor Albee had already made a decision. His five options remain the same, and with such important decision, it is only Mayor Albee that will do the announcement,” Distrito said. The five options are seeking reelection, running for senator or representative,  accepting a Cabine...

Photo by Robert So on Pexels.com Consumers in southern  Negros Occidental should brace for a huge  increase in their  electricity bills this month. The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative announced a P3.33 per kilowatt-hour increase in electricity rates for  May, from P14.6309/kWh in April to P17.609/kWh this month. The higher electricity rates has been caused by the increase of the cost of electricity at the spot market,   NOCECO said in  press release. The spot market rate rose by 55 percent from P10.3620/kWh last month to P16.0644/kWh this month. NOCECO also said that despite their contract with GNPOWER offering a slight decrease in their purchase power cost, their generation charge still increased by P2.7520/kWh. To address the concer...

Sugar leaders Enrique Rojas, Manuel Lamata and Aurelio Valderrama Jr.* Sugar planters are praying the rains will come soon to help their crops recover. The Sugar Regulatory Administration on Friday said the drought damage to sugar and molasses in Western Visayas was P215,700,114, with Negros Occidental the hardest hit at P200,178,856. “We have received reports from our planter-members that the drought had substantially decreased the tonnage of their cane harvest this crop year. Even their new plantings for the next crop year had been adversely affected,” Enrique Rojas, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters president, said. “The drought will definitely have a significant impact on the sugar industry, but until SRA comes up with the latest production report for this crop ye...

The Philippine Coast Guard rescued six fishermen after strong waves and wind submerged their banca off the coast of Silay City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday morning, May 12. The six were identified as Joan Infante, 37, Arnel Sevilla, 25, Jondle Sevilla, 24, Liberato Sevilla, 58, Ricky Sevilla, 30, and Elmer Tiongzon, 39. The Coast Guard Station Northern Negros Occidental (CGSNNOC) led by Commander Paterno Belarmino Jr. led the rescue operation. Belarmino said the fishermen left Catabla Baybay, Barangay Zone 3 in Talisay City at 4 a.m. to go fishing. At about 7 a.m. while fishing in the waters of Silay City, the fishermen's boat was hit by  strong wind and waves causing one of the outriggers to detach. Water started to flood the motor banca forcing the six fishermen...

There will be a big-time rollback in the price of gasoline on Tuesday, May 14, the Department of Energy announced. The prices of diesel and kerosene will also drop. The estimated ranges of the rollback per liter for gasoline will be P 2 to P2.25, diesel - P 0.50 to P0.85, and kerosene - P0.90 to P1. The final price adjustments will be announced by oil companies on Monday.*

The Philippine Army on Saturday, May 11, welcomed the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) investigation into the killing of eight civilians in a month, seven of whom were allegedly tagged as military spies by the New People’s Army (NPA). Vincent Parra, CHR Bacolod, said they are investigating the killings because executing people is a violation of the right to life.“We are conducting a parallel investigation on the killings that were supposed to have been admitted by the NPA,” he said. “Even our courts cannot order the death penalty, killing cannot be justified on the allegation that they are military informers, it is a violation of the right to life,” Parra said. The CHR-Bacolod is conducting a motu motu proprio investigation on the alleged liquidation of eight civilians in Neg...

A person with disability was shot to death by an unidentified suspect in Sitio Naube, Brgy. Puso, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, May 9. The 37-year-old PWD was shot multiple times at his residence. The victim, his live-in partner and mother were having dinner when the suspect arrived. The victim went down the stairs and his live-in partner and mother heard several gunshots. The  live-in partner checked on the victim and saw him lying on the ground with no signs of life. The victim was brought to the La Castellana Rural Health Unit where he was declared dead.*

The fifth most wanted person in Negros Occidental was arrested for three counts of alleged acts of lascivious in Brgy. Bagonbon, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Friday, May 10. Arrested was a 54-year-old farmer by virtue of a warrant of arrest. The warrant was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 58 judge in San Carlos City on May 9. The operation was conducted by the San Carlos Police together with the regional and provincial mobile force companies, and police maritime group. Recommended bail for the arrested person was fixed at P200,000. The suspect is now detained at the San Carlos City Police Station.*

The Negros Oriental Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) turned over financial assistance to twelve former rebels in a ceremony at the Guihulngan Satellite Skills Development Center in Brgy Poblacion, Guihulngan City, Friday, May 10. The PSWDO gave financial assistance to the former rebels under their Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) of the Protective Services Program, a 62nd Infantry Battalion press release said. Each of the former rebels who surrendered to the Guihulngan City Task Force to End Local Communists Armed Conflict (GCTF-ELCAC), 62nd Infantry (Unifier) Battalion, and Guihulngan City Police Station, received P5,000 each for a total of P60,000. During the turnover of assistance, nine former rebels were present, while the DSWD ...

Drought damage to sugarcane in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.*SRA photo  The El Niño drought damage to sugar and molasses in Western Visayas has hit P215,700,114, with Negros Occidental bearing the brunt,  Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona  of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said on Friday, May 10.  Damage in Negros Occidental was P200,178,856,  Capiz - P13,747, 242 and Iloilo – P1,774,015, an initial SRA  report dated April 15 stated, with the figures likely to increase.  Damage to  sugar was P191,253, 922 and to  molasses – P24,446,191, affecting 3,283 WV farmers, 2,392 of whom are from Negros Occidental, the SRA  report said.  The report said the drought  has affected  5,753 hectares of sugar land  in Western...

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines' (NGCP) Amlan-Siaton 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Negros Oriental has now reached a critical level, an official said Friday, May 10.  Michelle Visera, NGCP-Negros public relations officer, said that due to the current overloading of the power line, the ongoing construction of the Amlan-Dumaguete 138 kV line needs to be expedited to prevent any potential power outages.  "We are asking stakeholders and government officials in Negros Oriental to help us fast-track the acquisition of permits and the Certificate of No Objection from concerned local governments and private individuals," Visera said.  "The Amlan-Dumaguete 138 kV line was started last year and is seen to be completed by September this year, but some ...

The  Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO)  is waiting  for the arrival of its procured pentavalent vaccines to conduct catch-up vaccination among children less than 5 years old to curb pertussis.  Provincial health officer Dr. Ma. Girlie Pinongan said they expect the 10,000 vials purchased by the province to arrive within the month.  “There are local government units which still have remaining vaccine supply, but there is none available for the others,” she said  Friday, May 10.  Pentavalent vaccines protect against pertussis, diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B.  Pinongan said previously, the PHO vaccinated 62 percent of the target population.  She noted, however, that they still need to reach out duri...

Electric (e)-jeepneys will ply the “green routes” covering Barangay Vista Alegre and Barangay Cabug in Bacolod City from May 15 to 19.*  The Bacolod City government will conduct a trial run for “green routes” using electric or e-jeepneys from May 15 to 19.  Data on Friday, May 10,  showed two initial routes will be covered – areas in Barangay Vista Alegre in the eastern part of the city and Barangay Cabug in the south.   “The e-jeeps will provide free rides during the trial run,” the city government said in a statement.  On Thursday, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez discussed the conduct of the trial run during a meeting with OIC-Regional Director Salvador Altura Jr. and Transportation Development Officer II Joshua Gaquit of the Land Transportation Franc...

The buy bust operation in Hinigaran town.*  The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the police arrested the second most wanted  municipal drug target of Hinigaran town in Negros Occidental and seized  P102,000 worth of  suspected shabu on Wednesday, May 8.  Alias “Tors”, ”Turo”, or “Turing”, 33, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Gargato, Hinigaran, the PDEA reported.  Seized from him were 15 grams of suspected shabu,  the buy-bust money, a mobile phone, and a pouch, the police said.  The PDEA  said that the suspect will face charges for violating sections 5 and 11 of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.* 

The Department of Health Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH WV CHD) on Friday, May 10, urged Negrense women to undergo screening to prevent cervical cancer, the second leading cancer among females in the Philippines.  In line with Cervical Cancer Awareness Month this May, some 23,457 women in Negros Occidental and 5,965 in Bacolod City comprise the target population for screening in coordination with the local health offices and health facilities.  Dr. Aimee Marie L. Gayomali, medical officer IV and head of the DOH WV CHD integrated non-communicable disease prevention and control program, said cervical cancer screening is available in rural health units and government and private hospitals.  “Target population is 30 to 65-year-old women, but sin...