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The flag flies at half-mast in front of Capitol in Bacolod City for Roque Puentebella Hofileña Jr. *Barbara Mijares photoThe Philippine flag in front of the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City is flying at half-mast for a Negrense historian who passed away at his home in Bacolod City on Sunday, October 30.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday ordered the lowering of the Philippine Flag to half-mast as a sign of mourning for Roque Puentebella Hofileña Jr. from Wednesday until Friday, November 4.Hofileña, 83, served the province of Negros Occidental for 35 years from 1968 to 2003, retiring as Provincial Planning and Development Officer.His daughter, Olive Hofileña Javier, said he had a bad fall after which his health deteriorated.He was loved and r...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the city government is distributing free school supplies to 70,735 public pre-school and Grades 1-6 students of Bacolod City.*Negros Occidental and Bacolod City public elementary and high schools began full face-to-face classes starting Wednesday, November 2.The Department of Education Division of Negros Occidental began 100 percent face-to-face classes but there were students whose houses were hit by floods who were absent, DepEd Negros Occidental spokesman Ian Arnold Arnaez said.He also said some big schools in the division were faced with lack of classrooms and teachers.In Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the city government is distributing free school supplies to 70,735 public pre-school and Grades 1-6 students.The...

The Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry (Masaligan) Battalion deployed troops in public and private cemeteries in Northern Negros to ensure the security and safety of the public in observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2.Part of the security measures conducted are visibility patrols at the vicinity of cemeteries; deployment of troops inside and outside cemeteries to assist and ensure the safety of visitors; distribution of hotline numbers and safety reminders; and the establishment of a Police Assistance Desk in places of convergence.Lt. Col. J-jay Javines, 79IB commander, said that the troops' deployment will also serve as an augmentation to the local PNP and other Law Enforcement Agencies in Northern Negros to ensure that Negrenses will have a solemn and ...

The devastation caused by Typhoon Paeng has prompted the United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) to seek the intervention of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to raise the suggested retail price (SRP) of sugar from the current P70 per kilo to P85-90 at least.UNIFED President Manuel Lamata said "our sugar farmers need help to recover from the damage caused by the recent typhoon that has inundated hundreds of sugar farms from north to south of Negros and the rest of the Visayas."Lamata is also asking if millgate prices can be increased by at least P60 to stabilize the price at P3,000/LKg. Currently, the millgate price is at about P2,900 per LKg, he said.Before the typhoon, Lamata said millgate prices were already going down but seeing the damage Paeng wrought, we need the immedia...

An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed and weapons were seized by the Army in an encounter at Sitio Mambog, Brgy Planas, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, on Saturday, October 29, during Tropical Storm “Paeng”.The Army said the 62nd Infantry “Unifier” Battalion troops while on alert to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations were informed by typhoon-affected evacuating residents of the presence of the rebels.They immediately responded to the information and encountered about 20 members of the NPA.As the troops approached the area they were fired upon by the rebels and a 30-minute gun battle ensued, the Army said.While conducting pursuit operations another armed encounter ensued between the government soldiers and rebels in Sitio Ilihan,...

Mayor Joedith Gallego inspects Tropical Storm “Paeng” destroyed houses in Silay City , Negros Occidental, Saturday morning.* Mayor Joedith Gallego FB page photoFloods brought on by Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” hit 28,722 residents, 11,173 of whom sought shelter in evacuation centers, in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City on Friday and Saturday, October 28 to 29.Many began returning home when the waters subsided on Saturday.A fisherman is missing, houses and pumpboats were destroyed, and cemeteries were flooded.There were 6,285 families with 27, 156 individuals affected by the flooding in seven cities and nine towns in Negros Occidental as of 9 a.m. Saturday, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Merle Garcia said.She said 2,435 families with 9,607 individuals were in evacu...

Bureau of Fire Protection rescue operations in Bacolod City Friday.*BFP 6 photoFlooding in Bacolod City caused 511 residents to evacuate as of 9:44 p.m. Friday, October 28.The 125 families with 511 members were in eight evacuation centers in barangays 36, 2, 16, 31, Singcang, Pahanocoy, Punta Taytay and Banago, the city Public Information Office reported.Also affected by flooding in Bacolod City were barangays 39, Estefania, 35, Mandalagan, Taculing, Sum-ag, and Alijis.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez suspended work in all Bacolod City government departments at noon Friday, except for essential workers under the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, City Health Office , Department of Social Services Division and employees performing vital functions related to rel...

A rescue boat picked up 45 Sipaway Island residents in San Carlos City Friday afternoon after the Philippine Coast Guard cancelled pumpboat trips.*San Carlos DRRMO photoAn airplane aborted landing at the Bacolod-Silay Airport amid foul weather, and all sea travel to and from ports of Negros Occidental were cancelled after Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 was hoisted over the Visayas at 11 a.m. Friday, October 28.Cebu Pacific Flight 5J487 was about to land at the Bacolod Silay Airport Friday afternoon but its pilot pulled up because of bad weather and returned to Manila.The Philippine Coast Guard suspended sea travel to and from the BREDCO and Banago ports in Bacolod City, and the ports in Cadiz, Sagay, Escalante and San Carlos cities on Friday.It said 496 passengers and 2...