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Senator Risa Hontiveros at her press conference at the Senate on Tuesday.*Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, March 21, said three sugar traders “handpicked” by Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban to import 440,000 metric tons of sugar into the country may “outrageously” rake in billions of pesos in “super profits”.As this developed DIGICAST NEGROS sources said Administrator David John Thaddeus Alba of the Sugar Regulatory Administration submitted his resignation but President Ferdinand Marcos, concurrent agriculture secretary, has yet to act on it. Alba, who is from Negros Occidental, could not be reached for comment.Hontiveros, at a press conference at the Senate in Pasay City on Tuesday, said “what we may be witnessing is the unfolding of a crime. Nothing ...

Dr. Ernell Tumimbang is retiring on June 9.*A transition team at the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) will begin work in April, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, March 21.Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, in a letter to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson dated March 14 said because of his mandatory retirement effective June 9, he is recommending that a transition team start working at the PHO by April.“They will be oriented of the different programs as well as with our different lined up health activities. There are also lots of concerns that need to be tackled with them like the Universal Health Care implementation,” Tumimbang said.“I will start processing my retirement papers soon but nevertheless, I will still be available anytime...

A dumptruck driver died in Bacolod City, and seven persons were injured when the vehicle they were riding on fell into a ravine in Brgy Pandanon, Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, on Monday, March 20.The seven injured were onboard a truck loaded with seven tons of onions when its brakes failed causing it to fall 25 meters down a ravine at 3:40 p.m. on Monday.Injured were Rowel Barrientos, 44, Diego Trinidad, 20, Marilyn Cosme, Mark Anthony Trinidad, 23, and Junjun Cruz, 23, all of Occidental Mindoro, and Third and Sarbal Moncatar of Bacolod City.The truck was travelling from Bacolod City on its way to San Carlos City.The driver and two passengers were seriously injured, while the rest had minor injuries.In Bacolod City, dumptruck driver Emie Alitao Alegia, 46, of M...

Beaches like this one in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, will be an escape for many during the summer months.*Andrew Altarejos photoThe country could expect warmer days until May as the northeast monsoon or "amihan" season ends, the weather bureau said Tuesday, March 21.Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) administrator Vicente Malano said warmer temperatures are likely in the coming months.Rainfall across the country will be influenced mostly by the easterlies and localized thunderstorms, he added."Recent analyses indicate a retreat of the high pressure area over Siberia, which resulted in the weakening of northeasterly winds and an increase in the air temperature over most parts of the country. Furthermore, the strengtheni...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, the chairperson of the Regional Development Council-Western Visayas (RDC-6), has proposed the creation of a body to regulate fishing activities in the Guimaras Strait, one of the most important fishing grounds in the country which supports fisherfolk from Panay, Guimaras and Negros Occidental."One of my proposals is to have a Guimaras Strait Commission. For the entire Guimaras Strait, there would be just one entity that would regulate them," Benitez said on Tuesday, March 21, adding that the matter will be discussed in the upcoming RDC-6 quarterly meeting.The proposed body will include the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo as well as the provinces of Iloilo, Guimaras and Negros Occidental."(We will) come together and agree among ourselves to h...

The fire at San Mateo Village, Brgy. Banago, Tuesday morning. *Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade photoFire destroyed a house at San Mateo Village, Brgy. Banago, Bacolod City, 6:52 a.m. Tuesday, March 21.The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Bacolod placed the losses at P1.2 million.The owner of the house is Janet Almajon and occupants were the family of Genelyn Castandello, the BFP reported.Castandello said before the fire they experienced power outages and the breaker in the house tripped off, FO1 Rolin Paulan said.When she turned on the breaker she heard noise coming from the ceiling of the dirty kitchen and tried to turn it off again but flames appeared and rapidly spread, he added.The house was built on an about 80 square meter lot.No one was hurt, Paulan said.*

Power Watch Negros has high expectations that a proposed joint venture agreement (JVA) with Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) will mean efficient services for its consumers, PWN secretary general Wennie Sancho said Tuesday, March 21.The unsolicited JVA proposal of MORE Electric and Power Corp. and Manila Electric Co. was submitted to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for guidance, CENECO acting general manager Arnel Lapore said earlier. CENECO is still waiting for NEA’s reply, he said.Sancho said most of CENECO's substations are in derelict condition and are approaching maximum capacity.The substation protection features do not include a transformer differential protection that protects the power transformers from internal and external faults. There h...

The city government is aiming to put up 430 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to cover all critical areas in Bacolod this year, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Monday, March 20.The CCTVs will ensure faster response to crimes and calamities, he said.Bacolod currently has 85 CCTV cameras but he is not sure how many are still functioning, Benitez said.What is important is that the CCTVs will have the capacity for facial recognition and to capture plate numbers of vehicles, especially of those involved in hit and run incidents, he said.Col. Thomas Joseph Martir, Bacolod police director, is about to exit Bacolod, he said.Benitez said he wants Bacolod to have a good police director who can act on the unsolved crimes in the city.Meanwhile, Benitez sai...

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos at a press conference of Task Force Degamo.*DILG photoA former soldier believed to have critical information and is one of the main players in the murder of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has surrendered to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.The suspect strengthens the testimonies of other witnesses who earlier surrendered, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos said at a press conference of Task Force Degamo on Monday, March 20.“We were told that the suspect has vital and critical information that we hope will pave way for the resolution of this case the soonest possible time,” Abalos said.Gen. Andres Centino, chief of staff of the Armed Force...

Committee on Ethics chair Felimon Espares tells reporters Teves has until 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. on Tuesday to appear.*The House Committee on Ethics and Privileges on Monday, March 20, gave 24 hours for Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Neg. Or., 3rd District, to personally appear at the House of Representatives amid his lapsed travel authority.Committee chair Felimon Espares warned that disciplinary sanctions will be meted out to Teves if he refuses to return to work despite the expiration of his travel authority on March 9.Teves, who is being linked to the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, has been out of the country since February and has reportedly refused to come back, citing threats to his life.“As per approved by the committee, we will just inform you that we will extend ...