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Fuel prices are expected to go down on Tuesday, April 25, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday.Diesel prices will decrease by P0.60 to P0.70 per liter, and gasoline prices will drop by P1.40 to P1.50 per liter, Unioil said in its advisory.The Department of Energy on April 18 reported a year-to-date net decrease in diesel prices by P0.40 per liter.Gasoline had a net increase of P0.30 per liter and kerosene by P0.10, the DOE added.*

The Binalbagan folk dance winners receiving their awards from Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Provincial Administrator Rayfrado Diaz and Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena on Sunday.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Panaad sa Negros Festival ended Sunday night, April 23, with the announcement of the winners in the weeklong competitions at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Provincial Administrator Rayfrado Diaz and Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena, festival director, led the awarding rites at the Panaad Stadium.The champions in the various categories were:• Lin-ay sang Negros – Cauayan• Festival Dance – Victorias City• Folk Dance – Binalbagan• Latin Dancesport: Amateur – Bacolod, Juvenile - Himamaylan City an...

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has kept 16 out of 31 local government units in Negros Occidental under Alert Level 2 from April 15 to 30.The 16 LGUs under Alert Level 2 are Bago, Kabankalan, San Carlos, Sipalay, and Escalante cities, and Binalbagan, Calatrava, Cauayan, Hinigaran, Hinoba-an, Isabela, La Castellana, Manapla, Moises Padilla, Salvador Benedicto and Toboso.Bacolod City and 15 towns and cities in Negros Occidental are under Alert Level 1.The 15 Negros Occidental LGUs under Alert Level 1 are Cadiz, Himamaylan, Talisay, Victorias, La Carlota, Sagay and Silay cities, and the municipalities of Candoni, EB Magalona, Ilog, Murcia, Pontevedra, Pulupandan, San Enrique and Valladolid, IATF Resolution No. 6-c, Series of 20...

Mayor Rogelio Tongson*There is no need to include Himamaylan City in the list of election areas of concern, Mayor Raymund Tongson said on Friday, April 21.While there has been insurgency problems in the hinterland barangays of Himamaylan, Tongson said he does not believe it will affect the coming barangay and SK elections in October.He believes the polls will be peaceful in Himamaylan.There have previously been several encounters between the New People’s Army and Philippine Army forces in the hinterlands of Himamaylan.Lawyer Ian Lee Ananoria, Negros Occidental provincial election supervisor, earlier said that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will come up with a list of the elect...

Two policemen were injured in a chase of two persons who sped past a police checkpoint at Sitio Dao, Brgy. Lemery, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, at 1:10 p.m. Saturday, April 22.The victims were identified as PSSgt. Rex Bacan and Pat. Rofer Villanueva of the Calatrava police station.Personnel of the Calatrava Police Station led by PMaj. Ronald T. Santillan were conducting a checkpoint when a motorcycle with two persons on board sped past them.The two policemen on board their vehicle chased the speeding motorcycle but met an accident, sustained minor injuries and were brought to the Calatrava Municipal Hospital, a police report said.The Calatrava police recovered a Black Honda TMX 155 that was left by the riders who fled in an unknown direction after the incident, the report ...

Rogelio Posadas*The Visayas Command (Viscom) said on Sunday, April 23, that the New People’s Army (NPA) in Central and Western Visayas is now left without a head following the death of their top leader, Rogelio Posadas.Posadas died in an armed encounter with troops of the 94th and the 62nd Infantry Battalions (IB) in the boundaries of Isabela and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental on Thursday.In a statement, Viscom said the death of Posadas left the NPA, the Communist Party of the Philippines’ armed wing, and the National Democratic Front (NDF) operating in Negros Island, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor “leaderless” and will no longer have “clear operational direction on the ground.”Posadas’ death will further contribute to the leadership vacuum that the organization has been suffer...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson speaks at the closing of the Panaad sa Negros Festival.* Richard Malihan photoThe return of the Panaad sa Negros Festival after a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, was truly a hit, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Sunday, April 23.Lacson, who spoke at the closing rites of the weeklong festival at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, pointed out that as of 3 p.m. Sunday sales of participating local government units (LGUs) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises hit more than P20 million.Total sales of the LGU booths hit P14 million, food kiosks P5.6 million and trade fair – P344,810 with the figures expected to increase Sunday eveningLacson also pointed out that there was a very good crowd turn-out during the f...

A festive carabao at the Panaad Park in Bacolod City*Andrew Altarejos photoSales at the 27th Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, hit P9,614,262 on the fourth day of the festivities, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, April 10.Sales at the local government unit pavilions totaled P6,271,662, food kiosks – P3,121,906, and the trade fair area – P220,694, he said.Total sales on Monday was P2,049,379, Tuesday – P1,946,697, Wednesday - P2,293,810 and Thursday – P3,324,376.The festival will end on Sunday, April 23.*

Cauayan's Alliah Janine Al Rashid, Lin-ay sang Negros 2023 (center) with Kabankalan's Keziah Nicole White - fourth runner up, Salvador Benedicto's Ricah Alcorin - second runner up, Sagay's Jasmine Claire Pesquera - first runner up and Hinigaran's Ma. Xenia Angela Guanco - third runner up (l-r)*Ronnie Baldonado photoAlliah Janine Al Rashid of Cauayan was crowned Lin-ay sang Negros 2023 before a crowd of about 20,000 at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City, Friday night, April 21.Al Rashid, a 20-year-old first year tourism management student at the University of Saint La Salle, made history for being the first ever Lin-ay sang Cauayan to win the Lin-ay sang Negros crown.“It’s an honor to represent my municipality since we have never won in past pageants. I’m very happy that I get t...

Human skeletal remains were found beside a creek in Hacienda Shelido, Brgy Haguimit, La Carlota City, 11:15 a.m. Thursday, April 20, the police reported Friday.The police said while Juval Marquez was fishing in the creek when he smelled foul odor and on checking he found the skeletal remains.The unidentified human in an advance state of decomposition was more or less 5 feet 3 inches to 4 inches tall, and wearing grey pants and a red shirt, the police reported.The body was half-embedded in a muddy area approximately five meters away from the creek.*