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Evacuees at the Don Florencio Villafranca National High School being informed that they can go home.* Himamaylan CSWDO photoHimamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson on Sunday, October 16, ordered the resumption of classes in barangays Cabadiangan and Carabalan effective Wednesday, October 19.Classes had been suspended in the two barangays on October 6 following armed clashes between government and rebel forces that caused thousands of residents to evacuate.Eight armed clashes in Carabalan also left a top rebel leader and two government soldiers dead.The mayor, in Executive Order 2022-47, said he was declaring the resumption of classes because the Philippine Army Incident Management Team (IMT) on Saturday recommended that except for evacuees residing in sitio Campayas, Medel, S...

NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino*An alleged small town lottery collector was nabbed at Lopez Jaena Street, Barangay 31, Bacolod City, on Thursday, October 13.The suspect was identified as Gilberto Onde, who was arrested by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation-Bacolod for using a fake Identification card.NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said there is only one licensed STL operator in the province, the Super Lucky Beagler Inc.Recovered from the suspect was the alleged bet money. Charges have been filed against him.Meanwhile, cases were filed against Joevel Espora and Liczl Rentoy for alleged STL operations in Sipalay City, and Dinah Katalbas Surigao and Liezel Trembol for reportedly being operators of illegal STL in Binalbagan, which was said to be still...

It is not true that there are no funders for the about 14-kilometer bridge that will connect Guimaras to Negros Occidental, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Friday, October 14.The Regional Development Council on Thursday endorsed the construction of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridge.However, funds are reportedly only available for the about 4.3-kilometer Panay-Guimaras stretch of the project.But Benitez said there are a lot of interested funders for the Guimaras-Negros stretch of the project.It is just a matter of processing and selecting by the Department of Public Works and Highways, he said.The cost of the project is P187 billion, which will take seven years to complete, Benitez said.*

The creation of Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) sub regions is being proposed as an alternative to the Negros Island Region, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said Friday, October 14.Benitez said he will meet with the governors involved in the proposed Negros Island Region to discuss the suggestion of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).The DBM and NEDA have proposed that instead on making Negros Occidental and Oriental part of one region, Region 6B and Region 7B should instead be created to address the clamor for efficient delivery of services, he said.Under Region 6B all national government offices based in Iloilo will have satellite offices in Negros Occidental where people ...

Evacuees in their makeshift home in a community church in Himamaylan City.*A community church in Barangay Caradioan, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental opened its doors to residents who were caught in the crossfire following a series of clashes between government troopers and rebels.At least 27 families or 125 individuals from Sitio Campayas, Barangay Carabalan, have sought refuge at the church.Among them was nine-month-pregnant Genijade Caseres, who was forced to leave her home, along with her three children, on October 6 that marked the first day of the encounters.She recalled that they quickly scampered to safety after hearing the loud gunfire.She, her family, and the others boarded a canter truck to Barangay Caradioan, where they were welcomed by a pastor and his ...

Part of the telephone cable wires recovered from the suspect.*Binalbagan PNP photoA Bacolodnon was arrested after he was allegedly caught stealing telephone cable wires in Barangay Sto. Rosario in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, October 13.The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Ilkie Garcia of Casilingan 2, Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City. His three companions escaped.Police said the technician of RC Yulo Telephone System Incorporated informed them regarding the robbery incident, which led to the arrest of the suspect during their pursuit operation.Recovered from him was 510 meters of telephone cable wires worth P688,000.The suspect is now detained by the Binalbagan police.*

r. Neifertiti Gosengfiao, Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella, Capt. Lucho Giovanni Giron, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Dr. Willy Yu, Dr. Adriano Suba-an and Dr. Evangeline Johnson (l-r) at the signing of the BacCHP memorandum of agreement on Friday.*The Department of Health is supporting the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program (BacCHP) that aims to aid indigent patients, DOH-6 Regional Director Adriano Suba-an said Friday, October 14.Suba-an witnessed the signing of the memorandum of agreement between Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and officials of the Bacolod Queen of Mercy Hospital (BQMH), which is the third private health facility to join the BacCHP.The agreement was signed by Benitez and BQMH representative Capt. Lucho Giovanni Giron, with Councilor Claudio Jes...

Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Philippine Army chief, in an interview in Bacolod City on Friday.*Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., Philippine Army chief, said the ongoing pursuit operations against New People’s Army rebels in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, is part of their overall campaign to end the local Communist armed conflict.Brawner, who was in Bacolod City for the annual Philippine Army Multi-Sectoral Advisory Board summit on Friday, October 14, said “I am very happy to see we are hitting the targets…we really want to dismantle the guerilla fronts”.Military and rebel forces have engaged in eight clashes in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, since October 6 that have caused thousands of residents to flee their homes.“Aside from combat operations are efforts to win the h...

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito*Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito met with sugar leaders in Negros Occidental on Friday, October 14, to discuss how the Sugarcane Industry Development Act can be improved to make it more effective.“I’m frustrated because after its passage it seems nothing happened because of too much importation”, he said.“I am against too much sugar importation,” Ejercito said.The intention of the law was to aid the sugar industry to improve its production and competitiveness, he said.Ejercito said he met with leaders of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines and Confederation of Sugar Producers to get their recommendations.“We gave him some insights, talks are ongoing,” UNIFED president Manuel Lamata said.Ejercito said he is also a...