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The seized shabu in Hacienda Teresita, Barangay Granada, Bacolod, on Saturday.*The police arrested six suspects and seized P290,300 worth of suspected shabu and a homemade shotgun in buy-bust operations in four cities and a town in Negros Occidental from Friday to Sunday, August 4 to 6.Wilfredo Porras Palmer, 59, was arrested in a buy bust operation at Hacienda Teresita, Barangay Granada, Bacolod, at 1:25 a.m. on Saturday, Police Station 5 reported.Seized from him were 27 grams of shabu worth P183, 600, the police reported.Two suspects were also arrested in Sitio Sawangan, Brgy. Libacao, Himamaylan City, and six grams of suspected shabu valued at P40,800, drug paraphernalia and a homemade shotgun, were seized Sunday morning, the police said.Lowell Taladua, 40, and Joy B...

Two persons were stabbed to death in Negros Occidental cities on Friday and Saturday, August 4 and 5, the police said.Leonardo Himaya-an, 59, a laborer was allegedly stabbed by Rijie Casintahan, 20, in Sitio Camanda-an, Brgy. Bantayan, Kabankalan City, on Friday.A witness to the incident said that Himaya-an and Casintahan had a heated argument in the middle of their drinking session, the police said.The suspect allegedly stabbed the victim in the lower right side of his abdomen and left armpit.Himaya-an was brought to the Kabankalan City Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.The suspect is now under the custody of the police.Meanwhile, Amostiola Cabognason, 43, of Sitio Calimbuhan, Brgy. Quezon, San Carlos City, was also stabbed by an unidentified suspect, on Sa...

Director Kent John Desamparado and writer Crispel Jhun Ducay with Cinemalaya Festival Director Chris Millado*The premier screening of short films by two Negrense filmmakers, which are in competition in this year’s Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Sunday, August 6.The short films of Kurt Soberano and Kent John Desamparado, “Golden Bells” and “Ang Kining Ambahanon kag Binalaybay ko Para sa Imo”, were screened at the Cinema Rizal of the PICC.They are among 10 films vying for the Best Short Film award at the festival.Soberano and Desamparado’s films were part of the Cinemalaya Shorts B program which involves stories about familial love shot and produced from various regions in the country.K...

The Negros Occidental provincial government turned over P3.5 million to the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry to help develop the billion-peso crab export industry and create livelihood programs for Negrense women in rural areas on Thursday, August 3.MBCCI Chief Executive Officer Frank Carbon said this partnership aims to develop the blue swimming crab industry in the northern Negros towns and cities and create livelihood projects for Negrense women.The turnover led by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson was held at the Governor’s Office at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.Carbon said that it is a counterpart project where the MBCCI will provide about P1 million for additional labor and management of the project.“The crab industry is the only export industry in Negr...

Western Visayas recorded a 5.8 percent inflation rate in July, the highest among all regions in the country, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported on its website on Friday, August 4.The average national rate slowed down at 4.7 percent in July, 0.7 percent lower than the June record at 5.4 percent.Western Visayas’ current inflation decreased by 1 percent compared to June at 6.8 percent but is still 1.1 percent higher than the national average.Records showed that the region’s inflation rate for food and non-alcoholic beverages is at 7.5 percent, alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 11.3 percent, clothing and footwear 4.1, utilities, gas, and other fuels at 5.3 percent, household equipment and maintenance at 8.6 percent;Health inflation at 2.8 percent, transport at -3.8 p...

The Bacolod police seized 1.3 kilograms of shabu worth P8.8 million, and a .45 caliber pistol at Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod.*Three alleged drug syndicate in members were among nine suspects arrested in a series of buy-bust operations where P9.22 million worth of suspected shabu and marijuana were seized in Bacolod City and two Negros Occidental cities on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 3 and 4.The Bacolod police seized 1.3 kilograms of shabu worth P8.8 million, and a .45 caliber pistol from three alleged members of the Caunda drug syndicate at Brgy. Singcang-Airport, around 10:05 p.m. on Thursday, Col. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, said.Arrested were Gycelle Bonagua, 31, of Angeles, City, Pampanga, Micheal Ramos, 43, of Antipolo, Rizal, and their helper Rizald Lapag, 33, ...

Region 6's Bacolod Tay Tung High School secured victory in the Palarong Pambansa Secondary Girls' Volleyball Championship.*DepEd Western Visayas photoThe National Capital Region (NCR) won four gold medals in taekwondo and three in arnis on Friday, August 4, to regain the No. 1 spot in the overall medal tally of the ongoing 2023 Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City.As of 7:30 p.m. Friday NCR had 67 gold medals, 64 silvers and 45 bronzes, while Western Visayas (Region 6) slid back to second place with 50 golds, 36 silvers and 31 bronzes.Western Visayas bagged three gold medals coming from the elementary boys and girls, and secondary boys’ 4x100m relay in the athletics competition at the Marikina Sports CenterRegion 6's Bacolod Tay Tung High School also secured victory in the Pa...

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito*Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said on Friday, August 4, that he has not set the date for the Senate Committee on Local Government hearing on the bill seeking the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) yet.The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, and the passage of a counterpart measure in the Senate is needed for it to become a law.“Given the events in Negros Oriental and now there is a new governor again, let them settle down first then we will call for a hearing,” Ejercito told DIGICAST NEGROS.“These events are beyond our control”, he said.“We have to be fair and get the position of Negros Oriental also,” Ejercito said.Negros Ori...

There have been nine suspected leptospirosis, six dengue and four cholera deaths in Negros Occidental this year, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported Friday, August 4.There were 23 suspected leptospirosis cases in Negros Occidental, with nine deaths from January 1 to July 29, a report from Dr. Girlie Pinongan, OIC Provincial Health Officer, said.The deaths were in Murcia – 4, Silay City – 2, and Kabankalan City, Sipalay City, and Salvador Benedicto - 1 each.The top 10 LGUs with suspected leptospirosis cases are Murcia – 9, Talisay City - 8, Kabankalan City and Silay City – 7 each, Himamaylan City – 6, Sipalay City, Salvador Benedicto and Victorias City – 5 each, and EB Magalona and Sagay City - 4 each.The 20 to 30 years old age group had the most number of cases....