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Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized more firearms and ammunition in another search on the premises of a sugar mill in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental, Sunday night.The Joint Task Force Negros (JTFN) announced on Monday, March 27, that a search that took place around 7:20 p.m. and onwards at the HDJ Bayawan Agri-Vet Corp. compound yielded one short firearm with 24 rounds of live ammunition and three magazines, one disassembled pistol, one shotgun with 29 rounds of live ammunition, 852 rounds of live ammunition for a 7.62 mm caliber, and 1,169 rounds of live ammunition for a 5.56 mm caliber.The items were discovered at the back of the compound near a molasses tank following an intensive search of the sugar mill's premises.The CIDG, assisted b...

Lakawon Island Resort is one of the tourist attractions of Cadiz City.*Mayor Salvador Escalante has convened the new Cadiz City Tourism Council to address the concerns of the growing tourism industry in his city.Escalante, who chairs the council, said they have expanded its membership from 22 to about 37 to involve more sectors.The thrust of the city government is to enhance agriculture and develop tourism, Escalante said.There are seven new major roads in Cadiz City that will lead to upland farmlands and the development of tourist attractions, Escalante said on Sunday. March 26.They do not want the same problem to happen as when Pacol Falls was opened to tourists. There were coffee shops that sprouted in the area and people threw garbage anywhere, he said.Cadiz has...

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general*The United Negros Alliance coalition with Love Negros remains strong, and will continue to support Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson, Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, UNegA secretary general, said Sunday, March 26.The UNegA president is Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and the chairman is Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District).“As far as I know the coalition is still holding and getting stronger,” Escalante said, pointing out that they have been helped not alienated by Lacson who is a non-UNegA governor.“In fact there have been recommendations to invite the governor to join UNegA but my opinion was let’s not rock the boat, Gov. Bong is with Love Negros and we have a strong coalition,” E...

The inhabitants of the 1.3 hectare Giant Clam Village in Cadiz City that began because of the passion of one woman.*The passion of a 36-year-old former resort cashier has led to the birth of a 1.3 hectare Giant Clam Village in the waters off Lakawon Island in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.Hereliza “Yhen-yen” Osorio, worked as a cashier at the Lakawon Island Resort, and in her spare time saved endangered giant clams from harm.However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit she lost her job and has to return to her home in Sara, Iloilo.But she did not want to leave without turning over the care of the giant clams she had saved and nurtured to someone so she sought the help of the Cadiz City government.City Agriculturist Enrique Escares III said he saw the good she had done and he...

The suspects arrested during the two-day raid at HDJ sugar mill in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental board a government aircraft from Dumaguete - Sibulan Airport en route to Manila on Sunday.*JFP photoLaw enforcers are looking at possible “terrorist-related” activities in Negros Oriental following the confiscation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and components during a series of raids at a sugar mill in Sta. Catalina town during the weekend.Col. Thomas Valmonte, legal counsel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), told reporters in a press briefing at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport Sunday afternoon, March 26, that they will do a trace on the IEDs.He believes the presence of these IEDs would indicate possible “terroristic” activity.“If you possess that,...

Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia - Yulo, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Rep. Emilio Yulo III, Councilor Vincent Garcia and Board Member Rita Gatuslao (l-r) at the Magayon Hinuptanan Festival in Moises Padilla Saturday.*Dolly Yasa photoNegros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) said they hope another Negrense is appointed to head the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) following the resignation of Acting Administrator David Alba, which takes effect April 15.However, they leave the choice of a new SRA administrator to the discretion of the appointing authority, Lacson and Yulo said in interviews at the Magayon Hinuptanan Festival in Moises Padilla Saturday, March 25.Alba, in a statement issued Sunday, said it was his honor and pr...

UNIFED President Manual Lamata*The United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) is appealing to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to deny the request of beverage companies to directly import sugar for their needs.UNIFED President Manual Lamata said in a press release on Sunday, March 26, that he got wind of a request of Coca Cola Beverages Philippines Inc., Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc., ARC Refreshments Corporation, Nestle Philippines Inc., Alaska Milk Corporation, and Monde Nissin Corporation to meet with the president to allow industrial users to “directly import premium refined sugar.”In a letter dated March 22, addressed to Marcos in his capacity as head of the Department of Agriculture, the beverage companies complained about sugar supply, high price ...

Fuel prices are expected to further go down on Tuesday, March 28, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday, March 25.Diesel prices should go down by P1 to P1.20 per liter, and gasoline by P0.60 to P0.75 per liter, it said.It will take effect on March 28 to April 3, Unioil said.The Department of Energy's oil price monitoring showed that year-to-date net decrease for diesel prices was at P1 per liter and kerosene at P1.65 per liter as of March 14.Gasoline prices had a net increase of P6.70 per liter, the DOE added.*

The Negros Occidental provincial government Earth Hour rites at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.*The Negros Occidental provincial government joined millions of people across the globe who switched off lights for an hour Saturday evening, March 25, “to show that we are not only aware of the gravity of climate change and its impact on our lives, our existence, and our planet, but we are also willing and prepared to do our active part to change the course of environmental destruction due to climate change”, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.The provincial government held its “Biggest Hour for Earth” rites at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City.The Bacolod City, Cadiz City and San Carlos City governments also joined Earth Hour by switching off their lights.Earth Hour i...

Julianna Marie Arisgado Sablon and Annabelle Aguillion Diaz (l-r)*Law enforcers seized P618,800 in shabu in buy bust operations in Bacolod City and Pontevedra on Friday and Saturday, March 24 and 25.The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the police nabbed two women and seized about P578,000 in shabu in Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod City, 3:53 p.m. Saturday.Nabbed were Julianna Marie Arisgado Sablon, alias Tumboy, 22, and Annabelle Aguillion Diaz, 63, alias Mabel, of Purok Sigay, the police said.Seized from the two, who were tagged as “high value individuals”, were about 85 grams of shabu.In Pontedvera three persons were arrested and 6 grams of shabu worth P40,800 were seized in Purok Malinong, Barangay Miranda, on Friday, the police said.Nabbed were Richard Nati...