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Firefighters at Punta Magsungay, Purok 6, Brgy. Singcang, Bacolod City, Thursday night.* Rosinie Distrito photoFire destroyed two houses and damaged three others at Punta Magsungay, Purok 6, Brgy. Singcang, Bacolod City, Thursday night, City Social Welfare Officer Sally Abelarde said Friday, February 24.She said the fire affected five families with about 20 members who have been assisted by the city government and provided food packs.The fire victims are staying at homes of relatives and friends, she said.The fire started from an unattended candle at the house of Dennis Louie Herrera, Chief Inspector Rodel Legaspi, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Bacolod chief, said.The BFP had initially reported one house destroyed and three damaged.The owners of the damaged houses...

A farmer was killed following an argument with his alleged drinking buddies at Sitio Manlawaan, Brgy. Bulwangan, Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 22.Killed was Cerilo Adlaon Tarino, 51, of Brgy. Bulwangan, the police reported Friday.The suspects are Eddie Garbellion, Nelson Garbellion and Jommel Delo Santos of Sitio Bulocbuloc, Barangay Asia in Hinoba-an.The victim and the suspects were having a drinking session when a heated argument ensued between them, his brother told the police.Delos Santos struck the victim on the head using a beer bottle causing him to fall to the ground and Garbellion stabbed him with a knife on the shoulder that resulted to his death, the police were told.The suspects fled and have yet to be arrested.Murder charge...

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson got a first peek of the highly-anticipated internet service provided by Starlink, a satellite-based internet service provider by SpaceX, early this week.A day before Starlink went live in the Philippines, the low-earth orbit satellite internet technology was presented by Mark Garvey Candella, Chief Strategy Officer of AcadArena, to Lacson at the Capitol in Bacolod City.Candella was in the province for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the provincial government through the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) to promote Esports Education.AcadArena is a leading organization for Campus Gaming and Esports Education in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, a press release from NOLI...

Skittles after he was shot.*The Community Animal Rescue Efforts (CARE) and the owner of a Siberian Husky named Skittles who was shot by a neighbor are calling for justice for his death.Eduardo Libo-on, 66, has filed a complaint at Police Station 8 against his neighbor Dominador Bangero for allegedly shooting Skittles in violation of the Animal Cruelty Act at Greenplains Subdivision in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, at 4 p.m. Monday, February 20.Skittles died Wednesday night due to punctured lungs.A barangay hearing of the case is set Tuesday, Libo-on, who is a purok president, said Thursday.Libo-on, in the police blotter report, said Bangero armed with a .45 caliber pistol shot the dog when it went out on the street.Bangero, in an interview on Radyo Bander...

Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) *The House Committee on Agriculture plans to visit Negros Occidental to look into the concerns of the sugar industry, including sugar smuggling, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) said on Thursday, February 23.However, the committee, which is headed by Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga (Quezon, 1st District), has not set a date for the visit, she said.Leaders of the sugar industry in a joint statement on Wednesday, February 22, called on the House of Representatives and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to conduct full-blown investigations into the blatant “smuggling” of sugar into the country.Alvarez said she would support an investigation into sugar smuggling if it is the sentiment of the sugar planters.The represen...

Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) on Thursday, February 23, said she expects the Lower House to approve the bill seeking the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) and then they will lobby for its passage in the Senate as well.She said with the House Committee on Appropriations approval of the NIR bill, it will be endorsed to the Committee on Rules for scheduling for second reading in plenary.If there are no objections it can then be passed on third and final reading and forwarded to the Senate, Alvarez added.The Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday approved the allocation of funds, which will be taken from the Department of the Interior and Local Government budget, for the Technical Working Group (TWG) to formulate the NIR roadmap, she said.The DILG w...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered the 60-day preventive suspension of the former acting treasurer of Isabela, Negros Occidental, and formally charged her for administrative offenses of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and malversation of public funds.Nenette M. Escarda, who had been reassigned to the Provincial Treasurer’s Office at the Capitol in Bacolod City, was served her suspension order on Thursday, February 23, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said.She was preventively suspended because as Cashier 1 at the Provincial Treasurer’s Office she has access to the personnel and audit examination files of Isabela. She was in a position where she could exert undue influence or pressure on the witnesses or tamper evidence against her, Lacson said. ...

Mayor Renato Gustilo visits a patient with amoebiasis at the San Carlos City Hospital*Mayor Renato Gustilo has declared a state of health emergency in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, amid “an alarming rise in cases of amoebiasis”.There were 190 cases of amoebiasis reported in 10 San Carlos barangays from January to February, Gustilo said on Thursday, February 23.About 90 of the cases occurred in January and 100 in February, he said.Barangays Buluangan and Rizal had the most number of reported cases, he said.There were lapses in the reporting of the cases to him by the City Health Office or he could have declared the health emergency earlier, he said.Gustilo said he visited the San Carlos City Hospital to check on the patients confined for amoebiasis and to ensur...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has appointed an officer-in-charge of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, the Capitol announced Thursday, February 23.Appointed OIC is Social Welfare Officer IV Ma. Gerla Espinosa Sario.She was appointed in view of the mandatory retirement of Merle L. Garcia as Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer, Lacson said.“The order shall take effect immediately and shall remain in full force until revoked in writing,” Lacson said.*

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared Friday, February 24, a special non-working day throughout the country.Proclamation No. 167, signed for the president by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Thursday, said the EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary, which is a special non-working day throughout the country is set on Saturday, February 25.However, to enable our countrymen to avail of the benefits of a longer weekend pursuant to the principle of holiday economics, the celebration of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary may be moved from February 25 to February 24 provided that the historical significance of EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary is maintained, it said.The Department of Labor and Employment was directed to issue the appropriate circular to imple...