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A 74-year-old man from Barangay Patag, Silay City, is the first cholera fatality in Negros Occidental for 2023.The Silay resident was admitted at a hospital on January 12 and died the next day, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Negros Occidental Provincial Health Officer, said Thursday, January 19.“It means he was severely dehydrated when he arrived at the hospital,” Tumimbang said.Tumimbang said a test will be conducted on the water source of the 74-year-old.Last year there were three cholera fatalities in Silay City, EB Magalona and Murcia in Negros Occidental, Tumimbang said.*

Business leaders are appealing to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to issue an executive order creating the Negros Island Region, which includes Siquijor, ahead of the passage of a law on its creation.“As concerned members of the Negros Region business sector, we wish to express our strong support for the re-establishment of a separate, stand alone and full-fledged region, which will encompass Negros and Siquijor islands,” the business leaders said in a joint statement.“It is time for Negrosanons and Siquijornons to be given their own empowered Regional Development Council, which coupled with the fair implementation of the Mandanas decision, would finally provide our regional elected leaders with the sufficient autonomy to unite, plan and execute projects to benefit our own citizens,...

The Yuan Thong Temple in Bacolod City will open its doors for devotees and festival goers to witness New Year traditions and activities on Saturday and Sunday, January 21-22.*The 18th Bacolaodiat Festival will kick off with a grand parade from The Upper East to the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) at 4 p.m. Friday, January 20.The Chopsticks Alley and Imperial Village will also open on Friday afternoon.A grand fireworks display and music fest will be held at the BCGC in the evening.The Bacolod police is fielding 509 security personnel for the festival.Meanwhile, the Yuan Thong Temple in Bacolod City will open its doors for devotees and festival goers to witness New Year traditions and activities on Saturday and Sunday, January 21-22.The Yuan Thong Temple along B...

The evacuees at the Binulig Elementary School in Sipalay City on Thursday.*Sipalay LGU photoClasses in three schools at barangays San Jose and Camindangan in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, were temporarily suspended Thursday, January 19, until further notice following encounters between government and rebel forces that caused residents to evacuate.Classes were suspended at the Binulig Elementary School, Gil Montilla National High School – Binulig Extension, and Omas Integrated School, the Sipalay City government announced.Gunbattles between the 15th Infantry Battalion soldiers and New People’s Army rebels took place at the boundaries of barangays Camalanda-an and Baclao in Cauayan town at 11:10 a.m. and at Sitio Malipayon, Brgy. San Jose, Sipalay City, at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday,...

NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda and new CENECO acting general manager Arnel Lapore at a press conference Thursday.*CENECO photoAdministrator Antonio Mariano Almeda of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) officially installed lawyer Arnel Lapore as the new acting general manager of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) effective Thursday, January 19.Almeda said his marching orders to Lapore, who replaced Vic Alvaro as acting general manager, is to reduce the systems loss and improve the collection efficiency of CENECO.Lapore, a former CENECO president, has the knowledge and experience in managing the cooperative, he said.Almeda said the systems loss of CENECO is at 10.13 percent that by NEA standards is not acceptable so he is challenging Lapore ...

Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (5th and 7th from left) with other officials of Western Visayas in Iloilo City on Thursday.*Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. stressed that the war on drugs in the country will continue with a different approach, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Thursday, January 19.Abalos met with the Western Visayas officials to discuss “Strengthening the National Development Roadmap through Intensified Local Government and National Government Connections” at Days Hotel in Iloilo City.Lacson said Abalos stressed the need for good coordination between the national and local governments.Abalos has stressed the need for a collective government effort in the war against dru...

Manuel Lamata and Enrique Rojas (l-r)*The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) supports the recommendation of the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration to import 450,000 metric tons of refined sugar to help arrest retail prices.UNIFED President Manuel Lamata on Thursday, January 19, said "We are fully supporting the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to import refined sugar that will hopefully arrest runaway retail prices."The sugar stakeholders are being consulted on the volume which varies between 400,000-450,000 metric tons, which to UNIFED "is an acceptable volume for buffer stocks amidst speculation that there may be a shortage by the end of the milling season", he said.Lamata urged SRA to "program well the releases of these im...

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz *The Negros Occidental provincial government is allocating an initial amount of P10 million to address the nutritional needs of children in 20 barangays in Calatrava and Salvador Benedicto towns, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, January 18.They hope this will address the problem of malnutrition, stunting and wasting of children in the identified areas, he said.Diaz said while a Provincial Health Office (PHO) report shows that the nutritional status of pre-school children aged 0 to 59 months old in Negros Occidental improved in 2022, there are areas that are not doing well and need to be addressed.There is a significant decrease in the prevalence of wasting, stunting, and obesity, the PHO report said.A signif...

The evacuees at the Binulig Elementary School in Brgy. San Jose, Sipalay City, Wednesday night.*Dionilo Bogtae photoAbout 530 Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, residents evacuated after two encounters between the 15th Infantry Battalion soldiers and New People’s Army rebels in southern Negros Occidental on Wednesday, January 18.Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, said 15th IB soldiers encountered about five NPA rebels in Barangay Camalanda-an, Cauayan, at 11 a.m. and spotted about 20 during their pursuit operations.A second gunbattle between the 15th IB soldiers and the rebels took place at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the same barangay, he added.One 15th IB soldier was wounded and pursuit operations against the rebels were ongoing, he said.Dionilo Bogtae,...