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Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz (l-r) led the groundbreaking rites Friday morning.*CPG photoA Biodiversity Conservation and Nature Tourism Center, which aims to strengthen the concept of social entrepreneurship through eco-tourism development, will soon rise at Sitio Pulak-Pulakan, Brgy. San Fernando, Talisay City, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Friday, March 31.Lacson, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz led the groundbreaking of the center located on a 60-hectare site.The center will promote the production and use of bamboo, and also become the next tourism destination owned by the provincial government, Lacson said. ...

The Negros Occidental Capitol Cab System placed third at the Digital Governance Awards rites under the Government Internal Operations (G21) Category - Provincial Level at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila on Thursday, March 30.The Digital Governance Awards are spearheaded by the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Information and Communication Technology, in partnership with the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines.It recognizes and showcases the best practices of local government units by integrating ICT in enhancing their local governance processes to deliver basic services.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz received the award for the province with Information and Communications Technology Department head Jose Larry S...

Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) is confident that the Senate will approve a counterpart bill creating the Negros Island Region.Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, who chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, said the Senate will resume the NIR hearings sometime in May, Benitez added.Ejercito is the Senate Committee on Local Government chair.“I don’t think anybody has any problems with it (the NIR) politically, the problem is budgetary,” he said.But a solution to the budgetary concerns can be resolved, Benitez said.Benitez said the thinks the new Negros Oriental governor, Carlo Jorge Juan “Guido” Reyes, is okay with the NIR.Even former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo was softening his stand on it, he added.Benitez also pointed ou...

The body in a sack found inside a culvert pipe on the side of the road in Purok Paghimakas, Barangay Damsite, Murcia.*The body of an unidentified man stuffed in a sack was found inside a culvert pipe on the side of the road in Purok Paghimakas, Barangay Damsite, Murcia, Negros Occidental, Friday, March 31.The victim was about 32 to 35 years old, medium build and 5 feet 6 inches tall, Maj. Marc Joeil Reclamado, Murcia police chief, said.The body was bloated and starting to decompose, he said.It would be subjected to an autopsy to determine the cause of death, he added.Reclamado said the fatality is not believed to be from Murcia, since no one had been reported missing in the town.The body parts of the victim were complete, ruling out a connection with the feet that w...

Malacañang on Friday, March 31, announced the suspension of work in government offices starting noon on April 5, Holy Wednesday, to give workers ample time to prepare for the observance of the Holy Week.The Palace made the announcement through Memorandum Circular 16 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin."To provide government employees full opportunity to properly observe 06-07 April 2023, regular holidays, and to allow them to travel to and from the different regions in the country, work in government offices on 05 April 2023 is hereby suspended from 12:00 o'clock in the afternoon onwards," the memorandum read.It, however, provided that government agencies whose functions involve the delivery of basic and health services, disaster preparedness and response, and other vi...

The newly renovated Panaad Park and Stadium football field and track oval*Richard Malihan photosThe P104 million newly renovated Panaad Park and Stadium football field and track oval in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City, was inaugurated Thursday, March 30, in time for the opening of the Palarong Panlalawigan 2023 and the upcoming Panaad sa Negros Festival.Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson with Representatives Kiko Benitez, Mercedes Alvarez and Dino Yulo, and Board Members Manuel Frederick Ko, and Andrew Montelibano led the ribbon-cutting ceremony, followed by the blessing of the sports facility.Spent for the repairs was P48 million for the oval, P24 million for the roofing and P32 million for the stadium, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.Als...

Visayas Command chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo (left) attends the Multi-Sector Advisory Board meeting chaired by Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma (right) on Wednesday, March 30.*PNA photoThere are 17 cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental included among the 158 election watchlist areas (EWAs) in the Visayas, Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the AFP Visayas Command (VISCOM), said Friday, March 31.It is an initial list that will be reassessed and validated as the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls in October draw near, he told DIGICAST NEGROS.The 17 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental are Don Salvador Benedicto - area of concern; Silay City, Victorias City, Toboso, Binalbagan, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, Hinoba-an, Sipalay City, Isabela, La ...

Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) at the summit*Education stakeholders from 13 local government units and three private groups joined a Local School Boards Summit hosted by Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) in partnership with Synergeia Foundation Inc. in Talisay City on Thursday, March 30.The summit was held to look at the critical issues affecting student performance – participation, retention, cohort survival, reading comprehension, numeracy, stunting in children, and discuss challenges faced by the education sector in the province, Benitez said.Synergeia Foundation’s goal is to help transform leaders, institutions, communities to become sustainable partners towards achieving effective and efficient educational governance systems. ...

The area where the deadly rumble took place in Murcia.*PNP photoA policeman trying to pacify a fight and two civilians were stabbed dead outside a restobar in Barangay Salvacion, Murcia, Negros Occidental, 1:10 a.m. Friday, March 31.Two other policemen and the owner of Handi Seafood Restaurant, who also tried to stop the fight, were also injured, Maj. Marc Joeil Reclamado, Murcia police chief, said.Killed was PCpl Gabby Tamayo Castillo of La Carlota City, his companion Benedict Senosa Maguad of Murcia and restaurant customer Marvin Guardavilla of La Castellana.Injured were Castillo’s companions Staff Sgts. Namelou Sapuan, 35, of Murcia and Jaytie Misme, 35, of Valladolid; and restaurant owner Fernando Diaz, of Barangay Sta. Cruz, Murcia.The three suspects were identifie...

Police operatives recover belongings reportedly owned by suspects in the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo.*Joint Task Force Negros photoGovernment operatives seized personal items belonging to the suspects in the March 4 murder of Governor Roel Degamo and eight others at a sugar mill compound in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, Thursday evening, the Joint Task Force Negros (JTFN) said Friday, March 31.The items were found with the use of a backhoe in the premises of HDJ-Bayawan Agri-Venture Corp. Tolong in Barangay Caranoche, Sta. Catalina, reportedly owned by former Negros Oriental governor Pryde Henry Teves.The recovered items included burned clothes, identification cards, automated teller machine cards, and assorted documents that reportedly belonged to some ide...