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Photo by Robert So on Pexels.comResidents of central and southern Negros Occidental will benefit from a substantial decrease in electricity rates this February.The average residential rate of the Negros Electric and Power Corp. dropped to ₱11.44 per kWh, down by ₱1.66 per kWh from January’s ₱13.10 per kWh.Consumers with an average monthly consumption of 200 kWh will save P322 of their budget for this month, a Negros Power statement said on Monday, Feb. 16.The major driver of this decrease is the sharp drop in generation costs, particularly from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), it said.WESM rates fell dramatically from ₱7.5031/kWh to ₱4.4872/kWh — a huge reduction of ₱3.0160/kWh — following the normalization and synchronization of power plants in the Visayas...

The sinkhole in Sitio Bairan, Brgy. Gen. Luna, Toboso in Negros Occidental, which is about 500 meters from an earthquake fault line, has been cordoned off with yellow tape to ensure the safety of students passing through the area, Mayor Richard Jaojoco said on Monday, Feb. 16.The sinkhole has deepened from 9 feet to 10 feet and the cracks are getting bigger, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Hospicio Carbajosa Jr. said.The students living further above the area where the sinkhole is have to walk a longer route to get to school to avoid it, the mayor said.The area was cordoned off to prevent children from falling into the cracks, he said.A house that was being built near the area is now tilting on its side due to earth movement and has cracks in the fl...

Only one lane remains open on the national highway in Purok Agsisibay, Brgy. Bago, Don Salvador Benedicto, following a landslide last week.Mayor Nehemiah Joe Dela Cruz on Monday, Feb. 16, said that heavy vehicles, specifically trucks loaded with pipes, are currently prohibited from passing through the area.For now, only light vehicles and light buses are allowed to use the highway, which serves as a vital route to Calatrava, he said.*

Cpl Reynold Gardoce who died in an encounter in Tanjay on Sunday.*The Philippine Army has linked the New People’s Army group involved in the Tanjay–Bayawan encounter to the killing of a 74-year-old woman in Kabankalan City as it continues tactical offensives against communist remnants in Negros Island.Brig. Gen. Jason Jumawan, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, said the armed group engaged by the 11th Infantry Battalion in Brgy. Sto. Niño, Tanjay City on Sunday, Feb. 15, is suspected to be behind the Kabankalan shooting incident.The encounter resulted in the death of Cpl Reynold Gardoce, 29, a resident of Tapaz, Capiz, and squad leader of Alpha Company, while another soldier, PFC Janes Tyrone Lozano of Bohol, was wounded.Jumawan said a series of four firefights erupte...

The participants at the Anti-Political Dynasty consultation in Bacolod City on Friday, Feb. 13.* Senate photoA local advocacy group of scientists, architects and engineers are not optimistic about the passage of the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Bill despite a recent Senate consultation in Bacolod City, saying the country’s political landscape is "rotten system" that inherently protects elite interests. Dan Alcoriza, advocacy and alliance coordinator for AGHAM NIR (Advocates of Science and Technology for the People — Negros Island Region), issued the statement on Monday Feb. 16, following the consultation conducted by Senator Risa Hontiveros on the bill in Bacolod City on Feb. 13. Hontiveros said she is hopeful the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill will be passed in March, but called on lo...

The Masskara dancers in HongKong*The MassKara Festival dancers from Bacolod City will perform in the 2026 Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Feb. 17.About 40 dancers from Barangay Tangub are representing Bacolod at MassKara's second appearance as an international performing group at the annual cultural showcase, following an invitation from the Hong Kong Tourism Board.In 2024, the street dance champions from Barangay Granada performed in the same event."Preparations and rehearsals are ongoing after the delegation's arrival on Sunday," city tourism officer Teresa Manalili said in a statement on Monday.The night parade, which starts at 8 p.m. in Tsim Sha Tsui, will usher in the Year of the Fire Horse, which symbolizes strength, s...

Police have identified persons of interest in the shooting to death of an 18-year-old Bacolodnon and the injury of another at Gatuslao Street, fronting a mall in Brgy. 9, Bacolod City.Investigators are now gathering evidence to establish the link between the persons of interest and the shooting that happened on February 12, Maj. Eugene Tolentino, Police Station 2 commander, said on Monday, Feb. 16.The shooting incident claimed the life of an 18-year-old identified as “Christian” while his companion “Nognog” was injured, after unidentified suspects opened fire on them while on board a motorcycle.Tolentino said police are also verifying whether the motorcycle used by the suspects was carnapped.He said several individuals have come forward claiming ownership of the motorcycle,...

Kanlaon Volcano had another ash eruption at 1:10 p.m. on Monday, February 16, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.The ash emission lasted for three minutes and no ashfall was reported in nearby towns and cities, Mari Andylene Quintia, PHIVOLCS La Carlota Observatory resident volcanologist, said.The event generated grayish plumes that rose 150 meters above the summit crater before drifting southwest, she said.Kanlaon recorded six volcanic earthquakes and emitted 1,124 tons of sulfur dioxide from 12 a.m. Sunday to 12 a.m. Monday, Phivolcs reported.*

Twelve schools divisions will participate in the Negros Island Region Athletic Association Meet scheduled from March 1 to 7 at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City.The Department of Education said the participating divisions include Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and the city divisions of Bacolod, Bais, Bayawan, Canlaon, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, Kabankalan, Silay, and Tanjay.The week-long regional meet will feature 45 secondary-level events, 28 elementary events, and four Para Games events.The NIRAA Meet will include competitions in athletics, weightlifting, football, futsal, and dance sports, with pickleball and cheerleading included as demonstration sports.The event carries the theme “Negros Island Region: Stronger, Faster Together.”This year’s NIR...

Police arrested the No. 7 municipal level most wanted person in Isabela, Negros Occidental, for destructive arson during a manhunt operation on Monday morning, Feb. 16.The suspect, identified as alias “Recem”, 40, single, a laborer and a resident of Brgy. Sikatuna, Isabela, was arrested at around 8:46 a.m. in Hacienda Pasangilan, Brgy. Tinongan.Police said the arrest was carried out by the tracker team of the Isabela Municipal Police Station led by PMaj. Joseph B. Partidas through a Manhunt Charlie operation.Authorities said the arrest was based on a warrant for destructive arson under Article 320 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Presidential Decrees 1613 and 1744.The warrant, docketed under Criminal Case No. 7664, was issued on Aug. 16, 2024, by the Regional Trial ...