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Police beefs up security at SJI following threats made on social media.*SJI website photoSt. John's Institute (SJI) in Bacolod City is on heightened security alert following threats made on the lives of its teachers and students on social media, Lt. Jovito Pastrana, Police Station 2 officer-in-charge, said Monday, December 12.Posts on the Facebook page named “Huaming Par” on Saturday and Monday said that the school has a choice to fire one of its staff or its teachers and innocent students will be riddled with bullets fired by snipers.The shooting will start when it is least expected and innocent lives will be lost, one post said.Only one thing will calm the devil, for the staff member to be fired or for him to resign, it added.Examinations set on Friday were postponed ...

A sneak peek of the Christmas tree at the Capitol Lagoon Park in Bacolod City to be officially lighted up on Tuesday.*Ray Diaz FB page photoThe Christmas lights at the Capitol Lagoon Park in Bacolod City will be switched on at rites led by Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Tuesday, December 13.Lacson will also mark his 63rd birthday on Tuesday.At 4:30 p.m. Lacson will lead a storytelling activity at the park’s skating rink for children from orphanages, Capitol employees’ children and grandchildren, and others who wish to join, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.There will also be snacks and giveaways for the children, Diaz saidThe decorations at the Capitol Lagoon Park to be lighted up Tuesday.*Barbara Mijares photosThe ceremonial ope...

Globe is warning the public against unscrupulous groups and individuals who are taking advantage of the SIM registration law to scam people.“We have received reports that there are groups and individuals taking advantage of the new law by sending misleading text messages to unsuspecting mobile phone users. We would like to remind our customers to ignore these messages and report them to our Stop Spam website,” Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer, said in a press release from the firm Monday, December 12.Bonifacio said text messages informing users that their SIMs have been deactivated are just a ploy to get their personal information and hard-earned money. The SIM Registration law has yet to take full effect as its implementing rules and regulations are still ...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is giving its 1,740 job order and contract of service workers P5,000 each in gratuity pay and gift packs this Christmas, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, December 12.The provincial government will start releasing the food gift packs at the lobby of the Capitol in Bacolod City at 3 p.m. Tuesday, December 13, he said.The release of their gratuity pay is being processed, he added.The provincial government will also start releasing the P40,000 bonuses of the regular Capitol employees starting December 15.The P40,000 bonus will include the Collective Negotiation Incentive – P25,000, Service Recognition Incentive – P10,000 andProductivity Enhancement Incentive - P5,000.*

The Negros Occidental plaques of recognition.*The Negros Occidental provincial government has been ranked Top 1 among the six provinces in Western Visayas for its 83.68 percent growth in locally sourced revenues, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, December 12.“The Year-on Year Growth of 83.68 percent is the mother of all awards…it represents the growth of our local revenues from 2020 to 2021,” Diaz said.The Negros Occidental provincial government through its Provincial Treasury Office led by Provincial Treasurer Amy Grace Bolivar was given the Top 1 performance award by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) and Regional Association of Treasurers and Assessors Inc. in Region VI (Regata VI) at rites held at the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in M...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Cristmas party of the reporters covering the Capitol beat on Friday.*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he will not answer any questions about the 2025 polls in the province for now.“I have one request for 2023, let’s not talk about 2025 ever,” he said at the Christmas party of the reporters covering the Capitol beat on Friday, December 9.“Let’s wait for October 2024,” he said, referring to period when certificates of candidacy are filed for the 2025 polls.Lacson is on his second term as governor of Negros Occidental and can still run for a third term.The governor also said 2022 has been challenging with the Negros Occidental provincial government keeping a close watch to protect the province’s swine industry from African swi...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, 4th from left, presides over a truck ban consultation on Saturday.*The multiple-approach to easing traffic in Bacolod during the holidays, with some amendments to the truck ban, will kick off Monday, December 12, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said Sunday.“This will be on an experimental basis, if it doesn’t work then we adjust, rest assured that I will be on top of this and make sure it's properly implemented,” Benitez said.After a consultation with stakeholders from the business sector on Saturday, Benitez said the Bacolod circumferential road truck ban that was initially planned to be implemented from 6 a.m. to 9.pm. was amended.Under the amended rule there will be a complete truck ban from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 4 p....

There have been 11 COVID-19 related deaths in Negros Occidental in the first 11 days of December, a Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) report showed.The PIMT report also showed 287 active COVID-19 cases on Sunday, December 11.The COVID-19 related deaths reported on December 1 were two, December 5 – three, December 9 – five and December 10 – one.Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Negros Occidental provincial health officer, on Friday, December 9, reiterated the call for Negrenses to get vaccinated against COVID-19, especially because of the numerous gatherings during the holidays.The majority of the COVID-related deaths in the province have involved unvaccinated persons with comorbidities, he said.*