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The signing of the joint venture agreement between Central Negros Electric Cooperative and Primelectric Holdings Inc. is set to be held in Bacolod City, Saturday morning, June 3.The signing will take place after a presentation of the JVA to the barangay captains, Jonathan Cabrera, MORE Power media officer, said.The JVA will be presented for public scrutiny and plebiscites will be held by June 24 and 25, and July 1 and 2, he said.The implementation of the JVA will need the majority vote of the CENECO member-consumers.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer said they support the JVA.The mayors of the areas covered by CENECO also support the joint venture, Ferrer said earlier.CENECO covers Bacolod, Bago, Talisay and Silay cities and the ...

Massive decontamination of pig pens in Barangay Mabini, Pulupandan, was conducted.*The Negros Occidental provincial government will tap funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) to aid hog raisers whose pigs have died from various diseases, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Friday, June 2.A total of 1,758 farmers have been affected by the death of 9,268 pigs from various illnesses in Negros Occidental causing losses of P107,278,600 as of Friday, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported.There were 419 new pig deaths in barangays Bagroy and Busay, Bago City, the PVO added.Lacson said the AICS fund available is only P4 million so it will not be able to cover all of the affected hog raisers.They are look...

Six Bacolod City policemen received Medals of Merit (Medalya ng Kagalingan) from the Philippine National Police at the Regional Headquarters in Iloilo City, Monday, May 29.PBrig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, Police Region 6 Acting Regional Director, awarded the medals to PMaj. Jeory Puerto, Bacolod City police Intelligence Unit chief, along with personnel from Police Station 8 - sergeants Roberto Gaurana, Rommel Cometa, and Jimedel Dellonardo, and corporals Ramon Alonte and Hary Utana.They were awarded for their “significant accomplishments rendered in the performance of their respective duties and responsibilities”, a press statement from the BCPO said.They were awarded for their successful arrest of John Mark Melana of Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, on July 28 last year thro...

The seized items in the Barangay Banago buy bus operation.*The police arrested five suspects for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and confiscated P149,000 worth of suspected shabu in buy-bust operations in Bacolod City and Binalbagan town, Thursday night, June 1.Jepe Balbon, John Esquila, John Bert David, and Romel Alagos were arrested in a buy-bust operation in in Sitio Pag-asa, Brgy. Enclarao, Binalbagan, the police reported Friday.Seized from them were 15 grams of suspected shabu valued at P102,000, the police said.In Bacolod the police arrested Mark Vincent Alab, 28, in a buy-bust operation in Purok Lilang, Barangay Banago.Confiscated from Alab were six sachets containing 7 grams of suspected shabu valued at P47,000, the police reported.*

The 2nd Quarter Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting on Friday*Richard Malihan photoThere are politicians and businessmen providing support to the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Occidental.This was reported by the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade during the 2nd Quarter Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting presided by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Social Hall of the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City on Friday, June 2.Lacson said one mayor’s reaction was while there is such a report the question is have they identified the politicians or businessmen.The governor said he will ask the Army if there are really names of those providing support to the NPA, or just suspec...

Jeanette Reyes, PDEA Negros Occidental provincial officer, reports at the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting*Richard Malihan photoThe drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental have increased to 408 or 68.89 percent of its 601 barangays, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported Friday, June 2.Jeanette Reyes, PDEA Negros Occidental provincial officer, in her report during the 2nd quarter Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting at the Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City said most of the remaining barangays for clearing are moderately drug affected.She also reported that 100 percent of the barangays in one city and three towns in Negros Occidental have been declared drug cleared.They are Candoni with 9 barangays, Pulupandan – 20, Moises Padilla - 15 and Sipa...

Rape topped the list of 264 focus crimes committed in Negros Occidental from January to May this year, the Philippine National Police reported Friday, June 2.The PNP report was presented at the 2nd Quarter Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting presided by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Social Hall of the Negros Occidental Capitol.The PNP reported that of the eight focus crimes there were 69 rape cases, followed by theft at 66, murder – 57, robbery - 27, homicide – 24, physical injury -12, carnapping (motorcycles) – 8 and carnapping (motor vehicles) – 1.Among 154 focus crimes in the cities of Negros Occidental the highest number of focus crimes committed were in Kabankalan at 24, San Carlos - 20, Cadiz - 19, Sagay -16, Bago -15,...

The damage to the hog industry of Negros Occidental breached the P100 million mark on Thursday, June 1, and local chief executives of badly hit areas are preparing to provide assistance to affected farmers.Pig deaths from hog cholera and other illnesses in 14 towns and cities of Negros Occidental hit 8,849 with accumulated losses of P102, 546,775, a Provincial Veterinary Office report Thursday night showed.This has affected 1,697 hog farmers from the Second to Fifth Districts of Negros Occidental.The pig deaths represent 8.15 percent of Negros Occidental’s hog population, the PVO informed Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The most number of pig deaths are in the Fourth District of Negros Occidental with 7,316, Third District – 1,060, Second District – 317 and Fif...

The damaged house in Barangay Busay*Strong winds damaged 13 houses in Bago City on Wednesday, May 31, Mayor Nicholas Yulo said.Damaged were 11 houses in Barangay Busay and two in Barangay Taloc affecting 69 individuals, he said.The affected residents sought refuge in houses of relatives and neighbors.Meanwhile, Bacolod City and about 19 other local government units in Negros Occidental suspended classes amid heavy rains on Thursday.EB Magalona and Bago City said classes in their areas would remain suspended on Friday, June 2, due to inclement weather.PAGASA, the state weather bureau, said Severe Tropical Storm “Betty” had steadily weakened and as of 5 p.m. Thursday was outside the Philippine area of responsibility.*

A man died after two suspects allegedly stabbed him in his house in Brgy. Paraiso, Sagay City, on Wednesday, May 31.The victim, Kristian Bacay, 38, was allegedly stabbed by two individuals and was left in his house bathed in blood, the police reported Thursday.The victim was asking for help when he was found inside his house and he told his brother that he was stabbed by a certain Botsoy Bascones and alias Jepy Salgado, the police said.The suspects fled after the incident and the victim was declared dead on arrival at the Alfredo Marañon Sr. Memorial District Hospital in Sagay City.*