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CREBA immediate past president Roy Villa, Rep. Francisco Benitez, new CREBA and SHDA president Steven Brian Jison, and SHDA immediate past president Kenneth Tirthdas (l-r)*Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3r District), chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, urged officers and members of the two major housing organizations in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental to take seriously the dire need for building not only housing units but shelter and human settlements that are in harmony with the environment.Benitez was the guest speaker at the induction and turn-over ceremony of the Negros Occidental chapters of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA) and the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA) in Bacolod City on Fri...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez inspects the preparations for the lights on ceremony at the Bacolod Public Plaza on Sunday, December 4.*The Bacolod City government, in partnership with STI West Negros University (STI WNU), will kick off Christmas with a Festival of Lights, lights on ceremony, and the opening of a Christmas Village at the Bacolod City Public Plaza on Sunday, December 4.The Christmas Festival of Lights will initially begin at 5 p.m. with a float and lantern parade to be joined by various student groups of STI WNU, a press release from the city government said.The parade will commence from Lacson Street (Bangga Ramos) to Gatuslao Street, entering the Public Plaza (fronting Jollibee).The program is expected to start at 6:30 p.m. followed by the lights on...

The drugs recovered in Brgy. 27, Bacolod City, on December 1.*BCPOMore than P100,000 worth of drugs were seized in Bacolod City on December 1.Nabbed in Brgy. 27 was 52-year-old Ana Marie Soqueño, who yielded 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000, the P500 buy-bust money, and a coin purse.In Bangga Metal, Brgy. Alijis, street-level individual Robert Serillo was arrested in a drug bust.Recovered from him were 8 grams of shabu worth P54,400, the P500 buy-bust money, and a pouch.Also arrested were 41-year-old Reynold De Guzman of Murcia, and 26-year-old Jason Miag-ao of Brgy. 7 in another buy-bust operation at Brgy. 2.Recovered from them were 5 grams of shabu worth P34,000, the P300 buy-bust money, and a coin purse.All suspects are in police custody, facing dru...

The slain security guard in Calatrava on Wednesday.*Calatrava PNP photoA security guard was shot to death by his unidentified companion at Barangay Minapasok, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, November 30, Maj. Lidawan Lumayen, Calatrava police chief, said Friday, December 2.Killed was 45-year-old Ely Marcellana of Brgy. Hinab-ongan, who was shot in the head.Police said the victim was on his way home when he was shot by his rider, who fled the scene on board Marcellana’s motorcycle.The victim and the suspect reportedly fought before the shooting occurred.Two bullets of a 9mm caliber pistol were found at the crime scene.Police have yet to establish the motive for the killing.*

There were 16 COVID-19 related deaths in Negros Occidental in November, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) reported.The PIMT also recorded 626 new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental in November, with the highest number of active cases in a day recorded on November 25 at 308.There were four COVID -19 related deaths on November 29, two on Nov 16, and one each on November 4,5, 6, 9, 10,11, 13, 25, 26 and 27.Negros Occidental had vaccinated 78.55 percent of its target population against COVID-19 as of November 27, the Department of Health reported Friday.It had also vaccinated 60.87 percent of its target senior citizen population, the DOH added.Negros Occidental and Antique are the remaining provinces in Western Visayas under Alert Level 2 because of their low ...

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office is warning the public about the possible spread of fake money this holiday season.Lt. Judesses Catalogo, spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said that counterfeit money often circulates in December so the police are now monitoring it.The police also reminded residents to be vigilant when buying in markets and grocery stores.The NOCPPO has not yet monitored any fake bills circulating in the province.*

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito in Valladolid, Negros Occidnetal, on Friday.*RIchard Malihan photoSenator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito said the first Senate committee hearing on the bills seeking the creation of the Negros Island Region will be held on Monday, December 5.The hearing will be conducted by the Senate Committee on Local Government chaired by Ejercito.Five senators have filed separate bills seeking the creation of an NIR composed of Negros Occidental and Oriental.The five bills filed this year are:*SBN-89: Negros Island Administrative Region Act, an act establishing the Negros Island Region to be known as Region XVIII filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on July 7;*SBN-812: Negros Island Region Act filed by Senator Win Gatchalian on July 25;*SB...

Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joseph Victor Ejercito, Negros Occidental Board Member Manuel Frederick Ko, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez and Rep. Emilio Yulo III (l-r) met to discuss the sugar industry on Friday, December 2.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez met with senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joseph Victor Ejercito on Friday, December 2, to discuss the crafting of a plan to make the Philippine sugar industry globally competitive for it to survive.Benitez, who met with the two senators, Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) and Negros Occidental Board Member Frederick Ko in Bacolod City, called for a sugar summit in January to be attended by industry stakeholders and officials of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform and other national gov...

Lawyer JR Sanchez, Emmanuel Tariman Acosta, lawyer Luchi Perez and Fr. Eryl Agus (l-r) in front of the Kabankalan City Hall.*Pablo Tariman photoThe son of a slain alleged top rebel leader in Negros Occidental arrived Friday, December 2, to claim the body of his father.Last year he was also in Negros to claim the remains of his slain mother.Emmanuel Tariman Acosta, 19, who is a BS Math second year student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, arrived from Manila to claim the body of Ericson Legaspi Acosta who died in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, November 30.The National Democratic Front claimed his father was an NDF consultant who was picked up by government soldiers and murdered.The Philippine Army denied the ...