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The fire that hit Zone 12, Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City, at about 11 p.m. Saturday.*Joseph Kersee photoTwo fires destroyed four houses and damaged one valued at P3.4 million in Bacolod City, Saturday, May 13, the Bureau of Fire Protection reported Sunday.Fire destroyed the house of Lorena Calip at Zone Dalia, Villa Villeta in Brgy Estefania at 4:32 p.m. Saturday.It was estimate to cost about P1,050,000, the BFP reported.A fire also destroyed three houses and damaged one at Zone 12 in Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City, at about 11 p.m. Saturday.Destroyed were the houses Barbie May Poblacion Belaño, Beverly Belaño and Jose Donald Allaga, and damaged was the house of Berserey Belaño, estimated to cost P2,400,000, the BFP said.The BFP was still investigating the cause of...

State workers will receive their midyear bonus starting Monday, May 15, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said Sunday, May 14."I am happy to announce that our civil servants will be receiving their midyear bonus this year, as provided in the agency-specific allocation under the 2023 General Appropriations Act or GAA. We know that fellow government employees look forward to receiving this bonus which can really help in their everyday needs,” she said in a news release."So, we are reminding all government agencies and offices to ensure the timely release of bonuses to their employees or as stipulated in our existing rules and regulations, starting May 15," she said.The midyear bonus is equivalent to one month basic pay as of May 15 and shall b...

Expect fuel prices to go up Tuesday, May 16.Diesel prices will increase by P1.30 to P1.50 per liter, and gasoline by P0.30 to P0.50 per liter, Unioil Petroleum Philippines announced on Saturday, May 13.The increase comes after three weeks of successive price rollbacks.The Department of Energy monitored the year-to-date net decrease for diesel and kerosene at P7.05/liter and P7.50/liter, respectively, as of May 9.Gasoline had a net increase of P3.85/liter, the DOE added.*

The Department of Public Works and Highway aims to start the detailed engineering design activities for the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges in June.The engineering services of the 32.47-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges is covered by $56.6 million in loans from the government of the Republic of Korea, the DPWH announced during the weekend.The scope of engineering services are preliminary design covering review of the feasibility study and preliminary and basic design; detailed engineering design including estimation of detailed construction cost; and procurement assistance, it said.Composed of two-sea-crossing bridges connecting Panay Island, Guimaras Island and Negros Island in Western Visayas, the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project will shorten tra...

A 42-year-old man who reportedly went home drunk Friday evening was found dead at Sitio Lawagon, Brgy. Dian-ay, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, Saturday morning, May 13.The victim was identified as Epineto Mañego Palacios.The victim was found dead with a head injury, approximately 500 meters from his house, the police said.His forehead appeared to have been hit with a hard object, PMaj. John Ganzon, Escalante police chief, said.Ganzon said they are investigating if he was deliberately hit with a hard object by someone or accidentally tripped on his way home.*

The National Bureau of Investigation’s parallel investigation indicates that the motive for the killing of a call center agent, who was an organizer of the BPO Industry Employees’ Network, was robbery, NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said Friday, May 12.Alex Dolorosa, 35, was found dead with 15 stab wounds at Purok Villa Rosario, Barangay Alijis, on April 24. His killing has been condemned by various groups, including the United States State Department.The United States joins the Philippine government in condemning the brutal murder of Dolorosa, a trade union leader and LGBTQI+ activist in the Philippines, a US Department of State statement issued on April 30 said.Baldovino said their investigation indicates that the killing of Dolorosa is not the work of hired killers or st...

The police discovered a marijuana plantation during a buy bust operation in Hacienda Lonoy, Brgy. Hawaiian, Silay City, Negros Occidental, at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 11.Nabbed was Leo Abellar Capablabca, 52, who sold suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer for P3,000.The police also seized two plastic containers containing suspected dried marijuana, four stems of marijuana plants, and two potted fully grown and 52 newly grown marijuana plants.Estimated weight of the seized suspected shabu was 7 grams worth P47,600 and 2,000 grams of marijuana worth P240,000, the police said.Capablabca, who is detained at the Silay Police Station, will face charges for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*

The Bacolod City Water District-PrimeWater may have to ration water in four Bacolod barangays that are considered critical areas during the summer months.Its general manager Mona Dia Jardin admitted the lack of water during the hot summer months.The four critical areas are barangays Mansilingan, Handumanan, Felisa and Alijis.Jardin said the water utility is ready to ration water depending on the needs of the residents.*

The protest at the LTFRB regional office in Iloilo Thursday.*The assurance by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in Region 6 that it will expedite the issuance of provisional authorities (PAs) to allow traditional jeepneys to continue operating in Bacolod City until December 31 is a temporary victory, Noli Rosales of the United Negros Drivers Operator Center (UNDOC) said Friday, May 12.He said their group staged a protest in front of the LTFRB regional office in Iloilo on Thursday where they aired their opposition to the phase out of traditional jeepneys.LTFRB 6 lawyer Salvador Altura informed them that they can avail of PAs without having to get the endorsement of the local government since it is a national mandate, he said.However, they will...

Kabankalan Mayor Benjie Miranda with the Sitio Dangalon evacuees*The Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers seized two high-powered firearms and several war materials in an encounter with members of the New People’s Army in Sitio Dangalon, Barangay Hilamonan in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, 6:20 p.m. Thursday, May 11.The Kabankalan City government evacuated 62 families with 232 members from Sitio Dangalon to ensure their safety, Mayor Benjie Miranda said Friday.The encounter took place while troops were responding to reports from the local populace on the presence of at least 15 armed NPA members in the area extorting medicines for their wounded comrades, the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division said in a press statement Friday.The firefight which lasted for about 20 minutes...