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The Commission on Elections is reminding all candidates for the 2025 elections to start registering their official social media accounts and pages.Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor, Ian Lee Ananoria, said on Wednesday that aspirants have until December 15 to register their websites, podcasts, blogs, vlogs and other online and internet based campaign platforms with the COMELEC.Those who fail to register can face charges, he said.For more information on the registration process candidates can visit the official COMELEC website at: https://comelec.gov.ph/?r=2025NLE/RegistrationOnlineCampaignPlatforms, he said.The eight-day filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) in Negros Occidental that ended Tuesday, went smoothly and peacefully, Ananoria said.Ana...

Unopposed candidates for mayor Renato Gustilo, Richard Jaojoco,  Leo Rafael Cueva (l-r, top row), Salvador Escalante, Abelardo Bantug III, John Paul Alvarez and Jose Maria Alonso (l-r, bottom)*There are seven candidates for mayor and eight for vice mayor in Negros Occidental who are running unopposed in the May 2025 midterm elections, a Commission on Elections report on Wednesday, Oct. 9, showed.They will only need one vote to win, Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said.Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante and his nephew John Vincent Escalante who is running for vice mayor are unopposed.Escalante said it will be his 12th election in 2025 and sixth for mayor. This is the first time he is running unopposed, he said.He is thankful, it is like his hard wor...

Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria with board member candidates Nyrth Christian Degamo and Carlo Degamo, and Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo (l-r).*NegOr FB page photoNegros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria (Partido Federal ng Pilipinas) is running for governor against Pryde Henry Teves (Liberal Party) in the 2025 midterm elections.Three other independent candidates – Glendol Badon, Joemarie Jaos and Alexander Larita are also running for governor.Running for vice governor with Sagarbarria is Siaton Mayor Friz Diaz (PFP).Two independent candidates Jaime Reyes and Erwin Vergara are also running for vice governor.Commission on Election data shows that those running for the three Negros Oriental congressional seats are:FIRST DISTRICTEmmanuel ...

The initial five e-jeeps from China launched by the Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC), owner-operator of the modernized People’s Jeep, at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds on Tuesday.*The Cebu People’s Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CPMPC), owner-operator of the modernized People’s Jeep, launched the initial five units of China-made electric (e)-jeeps that will operate in Bacolod City as part of the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program.The e-jeepneys, which will ply the Fortune Towne-Central Market loop, are supplied by Chinese-Korean electric vehicle company e-Future Motors Philippines (PH).Robert Cerrada, chief operating officer of e-Future Motors PH, said Wednesday, Oct. 9, that the delivery of the e-jeeps is the result of the memo...

SRA attributed the slow start of the milling season to the El Niño phenomenon.*Ronnie Baldonado photo The Sugar Council and the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry (NACUSIP) said the recent pronouncements made by the Sugar Regulatory Administration on the “96 percent decrease in sugar production in the first three weeks of milling” do not provide enough basis at this time for making conclusions about the new crop.The two groups in a statement issued on Wednesday, Oct. 9, said SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona’s comparing two separate periods can be misleading.The country’s sugar production dropped by 96 percent in the first three weeks of the milling season that started on Sept. 15 compared to the start last year, Azcona said on Friday, Oct. 4.Azcona a...

The arrested suspect (left) at the mall.*A robbery extortion suspect was arrested in a mall in Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, Tuesday, Oct. 8.Alias “Joan”, 27, a resident of Bago City, was apprehended at the Gaisano City Mall at about 6:10 p.m., the police reported.She was arrested following an entrapment operation conducted by the operatives of Bacolod City Police Station 6 and BCPO’s Criminal Investigation unit.During the operation, the police recovered from her P31,000 in cash and a smartphone used in the extortion scheme.BCPO added that investigation is ongoing to determine further details regarding the suspect's involvement in other criminal activities.*

The route of the Grand Salubong Motorcade to kick off the 45th MassKara Festival on Friday, October 11, was announced by the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation (BYF) on Wednesday.More than 60 sponsors will participate in the kickoff event, which will start from Araneta Street at 3 p.m. and end at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), a press release from BYF said.The motorcade will assemble near the KIA Motors showroom in Barangay Singcang-Airport and will make its way through Gonzaga, Gatuslao, North Capitol Road and Lacson Street.The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office is advising the public to expect heavy traffic along these routes.Sponsors are also expected to give away merchandise and candies to spectators, BYF said.BYF said from Lacson Street, the motorcade will con...

BGen. Jack Wanky, Police Regional Office-6 director*The eight-day filing of certificates of candidacy in Western Visayas for the May 2025 elections was generally peaceful, BGen. Jack Wanky, Police Regional Office-6 director, said on Wednesday, Oct. 9.There were no recorded filing-related violent incidents, he said."Our main objective was attained because of the close coordination and collaboration between the police and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), and of course the adherence of all candidates and their supporters to the COMELEC’s rules and regulations”, Wanky said.During the filing of COCs, PRO-6 deployed approximately 3,200 police personnel regionwide.Wanky thanked the unit commanders, the provincial and city directors, chiefs of police, and other personnel...

NOCPPO Director Col. Rainerio De Chavez (right) leads the turnover to Lt. Col. Terence Paul Sta. Ana.*Victorias City has a new police chief, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office announced.Lt. Col. Terence Paul Sta. Ana replaced Lt. Col. Roy Rodrigo Gutierrez at a turnover ceremony at the at the Victorias Aquatic Center Pavillion II in Victorias City on Monday, Oct. 7.NOCPPO Director Col. Rainerio De Chavez led the turnover with Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez.Benitez, in his speech, expressed his appreciation to the outgoing chief and recognized his contributions to the peace and order of Victorias.De Chavez said that this change was an opportunity for the Victorias Police Station to continue to improve.He also highlighted the importance of fostering trust an...

Philippine Ambassador Neal Imperial delivers his keynote speech at the opening of the Slow Food in the Philippines booth at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2024 in Turin, Italy on Sept. 26.*The country’s successful bid to host the 2025 Terra Madre Asia Pacific in Bacolod City is expected to put Negros Island on the radar of culinary tourists from across the globe, the Philippine Embassy in Italy said.Slow Food International earlier announced its plan to host the first Terra Madre Asia Pacific in Bacolod City as part of its series of regional events next year.“With their rich slow food culture and strong agricultural sector, Bacolod City and Negros are well-positioned to become the ‘Slow Food Capital’ of the Philippines and attract a considerable amount of culinary tourists and ad...