Top Stories

Sipalay LGU photoThe Department of Education (DepEd) on Sunday, May 29, welcomed the approval by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of an additional honoraria for select teachers for their extended service during the May 9 polls.DepEd, through Secretary Leonor Briones and Election Task Force Chair and Undersecretary for Administration Alain Del B. Pascua, coordinated with Comelec on its proposal of providing appropriate and just compensation for teachers who rendered extended hours in the elections due to vote counting machine (VCM) and SD card issues.In a COMELEC order, poll workers will receive an additional P2,000 honoraria across the board. Although it is lesser than our original proposal of P3,000, the Department is grateful to the Commission for listening to our plea f...

Bacolod City has had 138 dengue cases this year and four deaths, the Bacolod City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (BCSEU) reported Sunday, May 29.The four who succumbed to dengue were an 11-year-old male from Barangay Singcang, 20-year-old female from Barangay Pahanocoy, 19-year-old male from Barangay Sum-ag and a 75-year-old male from Barangay Tangub, the BCSEU reported.This figure is 72.5 percent higher than the cases last year, which were 80 with two deaths.The age range of those affected were from 7 months old to 77 years old.The BCSEU said the barangays with the highest dengue cases are Singcang – 17, Estefania – 16, Tangub – 11, Mansilingan – 10, Granada- 10, Alijis – 10, Mandalagan – 9, Sum ag – 9, Taculing - 6, Banago - 5, and Villamonte – 5.The public is adv...

BY RONNIE BALDONADOParticipants at the closing rites of the LakBAYANIhan Fair on Sunday, May 29.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe towns and cities of Negros Occidental that joined the first LakBAYANIhan Tourism Fair at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City earned P1.32 million, Provincial Administrator Rayfrandro Diaz said Sunday, May 29.“Everybody was happy. The event was a success,” he said.The local government participants sold products and delicacies made in their areas at the fair.They showcased Negrense arts, handicrafts, authentic local cuisine, and cultural festivities.The six Negros Occidental districts each staged shows at the mall during the fair that ended Sunday, May 29.*

Finally a face-to-face graduation for 1,32O students of the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod City on Sunday.*USLS photoFace-to-face graduations are finally back.A total of 1,320 graduates joined the 65th graduation rites of the University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod City in two separate programs on Sunday, May 29.Bro. Joaquin Severino Martinez, USLS president and chancellor, said they have had no face-to-face graduation rites for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.On Sunday, 810 graduates from the College of Business and Accountancy joined the morning graduation rites, and 510 from the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Law and Education in the afternoon, Bro. Irwin Anthony Climaco, USLS Center for Marketing and Communications direc...

Bacolod mayor-elect Alfredo “Albee” Benitez met with the Bacolod City Public School Teachers Federation president and the police, recently.Teacher federation president Richard Gelangre informed the mayor of the need for laptops or tablets for teachers and students.Benitez recommended "ALB" or the Alternative Learning Board he introduced in Victorias in 2011, scholarships for teachers and an Alternative Learning System like the Albee’s LED van as an audio visual device for teachers and students in far flung areas and informal settler communities to encourage out of school youth to learn and be educated, a post on his Facebook page said.He also discussed the need to strengthen the sports program of Bacolod City, repair and maintenance of public schools, hospitalization aid to pub...

PDEA photoPhilippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agents nabbed an alleged drug den maintainer in a buy bust operation in Purok Narra Baybay, Barangay 8, Bacolod City, Saturday, May 28.Nabbed was Shierly Genova, 54, who reportedly had eight plastic sachets of shabu in her possession worth P81,000.Also arrested were Jerry Lozada, Roberto Magbilla, and Joel Go who were detained at the custodial facility of Police Station 2.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson expects a de-escalation of the alert level status of more areas in Negros Occidental after the mass vaccination drives set by the provincial government in June.An improved vaccination status will be needed for the provincial government to request the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to deescalate Negros Occidental to Alert Level 1, Lacson said on Sunday, May 29.Only seven LGUs in Negros Occidental - La Carlota, Victorias and Sagay cities and the municipalities of EB Magalona, San Enrique, Candoni and Pulupandan are currently under Alert Level 1 while the rest are under Alert Level 2 until June 15.Lacson said he has received no notice of more Negros Occidental LGUs to be placed under Alert Level 1 for now....