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Two Bacolod shools have announced a shift to online classes following an increase in the number of students suffering from influenza like symptoms.St. Scholastica Academy – Bacolod announced a shift from face-to-face classes to “synchronous online classes in all levels due to the increasing cases of respiratory infections”.The online classes will be held from September 25 to 29, SSA-B said.The University of St. La Salle – Integrated School also announced holding of synchronous online classes on Thursday and Friday, September 21 and 22.The school physician noticed more students exhibiting influenza like symptoms and to avoid it spreading further, they decided to shift to online classes to do a thorough disinfection of classrooms and other spaces used, USLS Chancellor Minnie ...

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is expected to announce a fare hike for public utility jeepneys soon, Eduardo “Junjun” Asis, Sentrong Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators sa Negros secretary general, said Thursday, September 21.The increase is expected amid the continuous rise in fuel prices, he said.Asis told DIGICAST NEGROS that he met LTFRB 6 Regional Director Richard Osmeña on Tuesday and was informed that a fare increase announcement will be made soon.His group filed a petition for a P2 fare hike last year, which was not acted on, so he met with Osmeña to follow up on it, Asis said.They do not know yet how much the new fare hike will be, Asis said.*

Sugar at Victorias Milling Co.*Ronnie Baldonado file photoMillgate sugar prices remained below P3,000 per Lkg bag in most mills in Negros Occidental on Thursday, September 21.Bidding results showed that only sugar at Hawaiian Philippine Co. in Silay City sold at P3,005.05 and P3,005.22 at First Farmers Holding Corp. in Talisay City, Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Azcona said.Sugar at Universal Robina Corp. (URC) - La Carlota sold at P2,610, Victorias Milling Co. at P2,650 , Lopez Sugar Central – P2,612, Southern Negros Development Corporation – P2,610, Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Company - P2,610, and Sagay Central - P2,612.*

Regional Election Director Dennis Ausan (center) announces the approval of the 172 election areas of concern in Western Visayas with Maj. Gen. Marion R. Sison and Police Regional Director Brig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor (right) on Thursday.*The Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) approved the declaration of 172 barangays in Western Visayas as election areas of concern during its command conference at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City on Thursday, September 21.Of the 172 barangays, 51 are in Negros Occidental, Regional Election Director Dennis Ausan said.Three barangays in Negros Occidental were tagged as red or areas of grave concern, 45 as orange or areas of immediate concern and three as yellow or are areas of concern.Iloilo has the most areas of concern at 93, fo...

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo, Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, and vice governors Jaime Reyes and Jeffrey Ferrer (l-) at the meeting in Manila Thursday.* Juan Miguel Zubiri FB page photoGood news, the governors and vice governors of Negros Occidental and Oriental, and Siquijor are now united in the push for the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR), Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said Thursday. September 21.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria and Vice Governor Jaime Reyes met with Zubiri and Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito in Manila on Thurs...

Three curatorial projects about the Philippines islands and landscape will be part of the “Curating Around Islands” curatorial development program at the Orange Gallery at the Art District in Mandalagan, Bacolod City, from Saturday, September 23, to October 24.“Curating Around Islands” is the outcome of a curatorial development workshop organized by the Japan Foundation Manila, the Philippine Contemporary Art Network (PCAN), and the UP Vargas Museum in February 2022, a press release said.The curatorial projects of Jose Mari Cuartero, Joaquin Singson, and Dominic Zinampan will be on display at the gallery and were selected through submissions to the Curatorial Development Workshop series last year.The three curatorial projects include the Lumba-Lumba, Ring of Fire, and Clouds an...

A senior citizen was found dead in the Bago River in Sitio Cavan, Brgy. Tapong, Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, Thursday morning, September 20.Nilda Modesto, 73, of Brgy. 18, Bacolod City, was found floating in the Bago River by a fisherman, the police reported.The police said there was no indication in her body that foul play caused the incident.The victim was identified by her daughter, Ma. Elena.*

Netizens cried foul after a university student was body-shamed by a conductor of a modern jeepney she boarded in the downtown area of Bacolod City on Wednesday, September 20.Lanimae Joy Mag-aro, a psychology student from the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, said in a Facebook post that she was publicly body-shamed by the conductor of a modern jeepney owned by RSJ Lines Inc. after she was asked to pay for two seat spaces because of her body size.She said when she rode the modern jeepney the conductor said :“Regular ka? Duwa ka bangko imo baydan ha " (Are you regular? You pay for two seats)”.Mag-aro said she replied that she was a student and the conductor told her to pay P22 instead of the student fare of P11.Embarrassed with all the other passengers listening she ...

PCG commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu, announced that the PCG nationwide recruitment for 2023 ended on Wednesday.*The Philippine Coast Guard is calling on the public to report any suspicious and illegal recruitment activities following a complaint lodged before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod City against a woman who allegedly was offering PCG jobs for a fee.Bacolod NBI chief Renoir Baldovino said on Thursday, September 21, that they are investigating a complaint lodged by a 24-year-old teacher from La Castellana against Mary June Abao Delos Santos who allegedly recruited her to join the PCG for a fee of P121,000.Charges for large scale estafa were also filed against Delos Santos before the Negros Occidental Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday for the recruitme...

There has been a significant increase in HIV cases in Bacolod City.There were 860 HIV cases in Bacolod City on December 2022, which significantly rose to 904 in May 2023, the city Public Information Office reported Wednesday, September 20.Representatives of the Action for Health Initiatives (ACHIEVE) Inc., City Health Office, Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), Local AIDS Council and various sectors held a consultation on the Bacolod HIV-AIDS ordinance on Tuesday.Bacolod City being one of the sites for the ACHIEVE-SKPA2 Project by ACHIEVE Inc. was granted HIV investment planning and technical assistance to improve its HIV-AIDS ordinance, the PIO said.*