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The Provincial Veterinary Office has already been collecting blood samples of pigs in Negros Occidental for testing and the province still remains ASF free, Dr. Placeda Lemana, PVO officer-in-charge, assured Monday, October 24.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas office on Sunday, October 23, to test all pig breeding sites in the region to control the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) after cases were detected in Iloilo.ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100 percent.The DA has been conducting a nationwide surveillance against ASF and has been requiring the collection of blood samples from pigs for testing by the Animal Health and Welfare Division of the Bureau of Animal Indu...

Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Mark Molina, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Eusebio Tanco (l-r) at the Paglaum Stadium on Sunday*STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. chairman Eusebio Tanco gave an additional P270,000 in cash prizes to the participating barangays in the MassKara street and arena dance competition at the Paglaum Stadium on Sunday, October 23.Tanco, who was at Paglaum enjoyed the performances and felt sorry for the performers who fainted, Mark Molina, STI West Negros University executive vice president, said Monday."As far as STI is concerned, it's not just the winning. It's the effort of every barangay that makes the festival a success," Molina said.STI, which owns WNC, gave the 17 participating barangays P10,000 each in prizes, he said....

Councilor Em Legaspi Ang*Councilor Em Ang is pushing for Bacolod’s famous chicken inasal to be registered as a significant cultural property of the city before the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.Ang, Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on history, culture and arts chair, held a public hearing Monday, October 24, on her proposed ordinance declaring the city’s chicken inasal as cultural property of Bacolod.Bacolod, among other things, is known for its juicy tasty chicken inasal, she said.Wherever you go in the Philippines you will find an eatery or restaurant with the name Bacolod chicken inasal to indicate that it taste good, she said.It is important that the chicken inasal is registered as a cultural property to help promote tourism that will redound to econo...

The Korean Air plane that overshot the runway of the Mactan Cebu International Airport.* PIO Lapu-Lapu City photoPhilippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific cancelled their Cebu-Bacolod and Bacolod-Cebu flights on Monday, October 24, after the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) was closed.The MCIA was closed after a Korean Air plane from Incheon, South Korea, overshot the runway after attempting to land during heavy rains Sunday night.The airport will be closed until midnight Tuesday, October 25 while the Korean Air plane is being removed, Glenn Napuli, MCIA legal manager, said Monday.He said the MCIA management is working on partially opening portions of the runway before midnight of October 25.A Cebu Pacific advisory said among its cancelled flights Monday was 5J 126/1...

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (5th from left) at the culminating activity of the MassKara Festival at the Paglaum Stadium on Sunday, October 23.*Ronnie Baldonado photoPresident Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Bacolod’s successful staging of its 43rd MassKara Festival has shown the entire country and world that the Filipino people are ready to return to their normal lives and that the Philippines is on its way back to economic recovery.Bacolod’s MassKara Festival also serves as an example for the rest of the Philippines, said Marcos, who spoke at a program during the MassKara Festival arena dance competition at the Paglaum Stadium in Bacolod Sunday afternoon, October 23.Marcos, whose supporters chanted “BBM, BBM” as he entered the stadium, said he will keep his promise to the Filipin...

The winning Barangay Granada performers*Ronnie Baldonado photoBarangay Granada won the 43rd MassKara Festival street and arena dance competition grand championship and P1 million on Sunday, October 23, festival director Pinky Mirano Ocampo said.The awarding of the winners, a concert and fireworks at the Paglaum Stadium in Bacolod City capped the three-week MassKara Festival celebration.Barangay Granada also won the best in music, most disciplined and Pau-Pau Choice awards, she said.Granada was also the champion for three successive years in 2014, 2015 and 2016.The first runner was Barangay Sum-ag that also won the best in mask and costume award and took home P500,000, Ocampo said.The second runner up was Brgy Estefania that also won the best in in concept award and ...

The man who was hacked to death in La Castellana Friday.*La Castellana PNP photoA man was hacked to death allegedly by a minor and his sexagenarian father in Brgy. Robles, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Friday night, October 21.Killed was 57-year-old Elmer Silverio.Police said the minor suspect was having a drinking spree at a store when his father, 62-year-old Joel Parcon, arrived and talked about their grudge against the victim’s brother.This led to a heated argument after the victim, who was said to be armed with a bamboo club, arrived in the area and confronted the two, police said.But when the victim, who was on board his motorcycle, fell to the ground and was hacked by the suspects several times. He died on the spot, the police said.In a police pursuit oper...

Evacuees of Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City return to their homes.*Mayor Tongson FB photoClasses in the three sitios of Barangay Carabalan in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, will resume Monday, October 24.Mayor Raymund Tongson, in an executive order issued October 20, said that the resumption of classes in Sitios Campayas, Medel, and Sig-ang was based on the recommendation of School Division Superintendent Gladys Amylaine Sales.Residents of the three sitios were the last ones to return home after the Army and the Incident Management Team previously cleared other areas in the village of insurgency.The encounters between the state troopers and members of the New People’s Army that started on October 6 claimed the lives of two soldiers and a ranking rebel leader.It...

A carpenter from Bacolod City died while doing construction work at Barangay 3 in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, Saturday morning.The fatality was identified as Anthony Bellardo, 47, of Barangay Villamonte.Police said the victim fell to a cemented pavement, hitting his head first, after he accidentally touched a live wire of the neighbor’s house that was under construction.He was immediately rushed to Sipalay City Infirmary but he was declared dead on arrival.*