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Typhoon “Egay” maintained its strength as it moved west northwestward away from the Philippines Thursday afternoon, PAGASA said.*Typhoon “Egay” induced rains that triggered flooding in 19 towns and cities in Negros Occidental, damaged and destroyed 1,003 houses and caused initial estimated losses of P9 million to crops, farm animals and fisheries as of Thursday, July 27.Affected were 14,034 families with 56,004 members, the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) reported. But Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the majority of those who evacuated had already gone home on Thursday.The largest number of residents affected were in Valladolid with 21,442, San Enrique - 19, 589, Binalbagan – 5,275, Ilog – 2,926, Don Salvador Benedicto – 2,07...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez confirmed on Thursday, July 27, that Maricar Quiro will serve as officer-in-charge of the City Agriculture Office effective immediately.City Agriculturist Goldwyn Nifras was placed under a 60-day preventive suspension after a formal charge for grave misconduct was lodged against him.Nifras was charged for the unauthorized rental of a city government tractor that was donated by the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, without the issuance of receipts.Nifras denied that he rented out the tractor. Payments made by the farmers were for the operator of the tractor, not for rent, and it did not go to him, Nifras said.*

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Thursday, July 27, that the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges will definitely start during the Marcos administration. Benitez said he will lobby for the Panay to Guimaras and Guimaras to Negros bridges to be built simultaneously so time is not wasted.The original plan is to build the Panay to Guimaras bridge first, he said.President Ferdinand Marcos in his state of the nation address on Monday said the PGN Island Bridges spanning 32 kilometers are among the priorities for construction under his administration.Marcos cited the prioritization of physical connectivity under the country's P8.3 trillion "Build Better More" program to further spur economic growth.Benitez said the detailed engineering design work ...

The floding at the Gaisano City Mall* Bacolod PIO photoMayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he has instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways and the City Engineers’ Office to submit engineering solutions for areas that were flooded in Bacolod City this week.They were instructed to submit a plan on how to eliminate flooding in those areas, Benitez, who convened the Task Force Baha Thursday afternoon, July 27, said.Illegal structures and reclamation work at mouths of rivers were identified as among the causes for the flooding, he said.Benitez said he is just waiting for their final findings so he can issue orders for demolition of illegal structures that exacerbated the flooding.He was informed that the flooding at the Gaisano City Mall area at Araneta Street ...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez during his long wait for his Cebu Pacific flight Wednesday night.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez said he called the Cebu Pacific (CEB) management on Thursday, July 27, to express his disappointment and frustration over the airlines’ handling of its delayed flight that he took on Wednesday night.CEB Flight 5j471 was supposed to leave the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for the Bacolod-Silay Airport at 8:45 p.m., but departed almost three hours later at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.The airline management told him they would look into his complaint, investigate and get back to him, Benitez said.“I think they acknowledged that Wednesday was a difficult day for them because there was a typhoon, but other airlines were on time,” he said.The ...

Non-government organization Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) denied the allegation of the Philippine National Police-Region 6 that they are a Communist Front Organization (CFO) saying it is “purely malicious and fake news”.There is no “alias Ariel” who is a member of Buhi nga Aksyon para sa Kauswagan kag Pag-amlig kag Siguridad sang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon (BAKAS) under PDG, it said in a statement on Thursday, July 27.The Police Community Affairs and Development Group-Western Visayas, in a Facebook post on July 24 , said that “alias Ariel” surrendered to the police on July 24 and claimed to be a member of BAKAS, which it tagged as an alleged CFO.“Ariel” also surrendered an improvised 12-gauge shotgun and 9mm caliber gun, PCADG also reported.PDG said the alleg...

About 175 individuals who have deceased family members who were former social pensioners received cash assistance worth P5,600 each under the Unconditional Cash Transfer program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in E.B. Magalona, on Wednesday, July 26.The 175 recipients were given cash cards in a ceremonial turnover at the municipal gym, a press release from E.B. Magalona said.The UCT Program is a government subsidy that provides cash assistance to eligible low-income households designed to help meet the basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing.The assistance was distributed by officials and staff of the Land Bank of the Philippines, DSWD-Social Pension Program, E.B. Magalona Federation of Senior Citizens Association, and Municipal Social Welfare and Develop...

A senior citizen couple died when their motorcycle was hit by a Sports Utility Vehicle along the highway in Valladolid town, Negros Occidental, Thursday morning, July 27.The victims were identified as Alfredo Barte, 73, and his wife Felicidad, 62, from Brgy. Canonoy, Hinigaran town.Both vehicles were traveling from north to south when the motorcycle turned eastward and the SUV accidentally hit it, Capt. Bonifacio Galves, Valladolid deputy police chief, said.The driver of the SUV vehicle was identified to be a businessman and a pastor whose name was withheld by the police.The families of the suspect and victims are still discussing a possible settlement, the police said.*

A man was shot dead in Brgy. Orong, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Wednesday night, July 26.Raul Deguitos Sr., 56, was allegedly shot by Julito Meot, 50, in Purok 5, Brgy. Orong, Kabankalan City, after a heated argument, the police reported on Thursday.Initial investigation found that the victim, who was drunk, went to the house of the suspect’s son carrying a bolo causing alarm and scandal.A heated argument between the suspect and victim occurred resulting in Meot allegedly shooting Deguitos on his head resulting in his death.The suspect fled in an unknown direction after the incident but voluntarily surrendered to the police Thursday morning, July 27.Capt. Thurslie Castillo, Kabankalan deputy police chief, said the family of the victim will file homicide charges ...

Jolly Beating was found in Cebu waters Thursday morning.*Jocelyn Beating FB page photoA Negrense boatman whose pumpboat sunk 2 kilometers off Lakawon Island in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday evening floated at sea amid stormy weather for a day and a half and was found alive in Cebu waters on Thursday, July 27.Jolly “Pating” Villarosa Beating, 35, a Lakawon boatman, was found alive in the waters near a small island that is part of Madridejos, Cebu, between Bantayan and Masbate, Nic Ledesma, a relative of his employer, said.Ledesma said before Beating’s boat sunk he was able to call his sister on his cellular phone and she advised him to put on his life vest.Since it was dark and the seas were rough, there was no way he could be rescued until the morning, Ledesma s...