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Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (center) at a press conference at the Bacolod City Government Center Monday.*The negotiated proposal of a Manila-based firm to build 10,000 housing units in Bacolod for informal settlers was accepted by the city government at 5 p.m. Monday, February 6, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.The proposal was made by WRS Holdings Inc., City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said.The next step will be the publication of the proposal and the invitation to other bidders to offer a Swiss challenge this February, he said.The Swiss challenge system allows third parties to make better offers for a project and the original proponent then has the right to counter or match any superior offers.Benitez said an initial 10,000 housing units will be...

The DSWD assistance being delivered to the evacuees.*The evacuees in Barangay Oringao, Kabankalan City, went home on Monday, February 6, Mayor Benjie Miranda said.The 283 families with 822 individuals evacuated to the Oringao covered court Sunday afternoon following clashes between New People’s Army rebels and government troops in Sitio Bugne, Barangay Oringao.There were three rebels killed, the Army said.The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas distributed P1.4 million in relief assistance to the evacuees.The office of Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District), the Kabankalan City government, and non government agencies also assisted the evacuees.*

A Kabankalanon was hacked dead while a Sagay City resident drowned in Negros Occidental during the weekend, the police reported on Monday, February 6.Esmeraldo Erna Calamba, alias Cosme, 66, of So. Cabangahan, Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, was killed Saturday, February 4.The suspect Joemar Tapalla Magdait, 23, of Brgy. Hilamonan voluntarily surrendered to the Kabankalan police.Magdait said that while he was catching fish at the stream near the house of the victim, the latter suddenly stoned him several times.Calamba said he got angry and hacked the victim using a sugarcane cutter on the hand, neck and head and fled.The suspect is now detained at the Kabankalan police station.Meanwhile, Oliver Bucabal Estera, 47, of Purok Tambis, Brgy. Bulanon, Sagay City, drowne...

The Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office has been directed to investigate the former acting treasurer of Isabela for the loss of the town government’s funds.“We have received the official endorsement for appropriate legal action,” Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas said Monday, February 6.Former Isabela acting municipal treasurer Nenette Mandadero Escarda said funds of the municipality that she brought to Bacolod City to be deposited in a bank were stolen from her house at Las Palmas Subdivision in Barangay Taculing, on January 21.Isabala Mayor Irene Montilla said according to Escarda the amount stolen was P3.8 million in checks and P2.6 million in cash but they are still investigating the exact amount.The Commission on Audit is investigating about P7 million in a...

These are among the Bacolod City government vehicles that have been inventoriedThere are still 90 out of the 500 Bacolod City government vehicles that have not been found, General Services Officer Gilda Lluisma said Monday, February 6.She said that 197 other city government vehicles are serviceable, 108 are unserviceable, 13 are undocumented and set to be verified, 88 were not reported and four were declared returned.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said show cause orders will be issued against those who fail to account for the vehicles assigned to them, which will be followed by investigations.Most of the vehicles that have not been found, including motorcycles, were assigned to the police, persons who have retired or are absent without leave.Lluisma said the uns...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez is joining President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his official working visit to Japan from February 8 to 12.“I will be part of the official delegation to Japan,” Benitez said at a press conference on Monday, February 6.He will present Bacolod’s potential for tourism, manufacturing and information technology to investors, Benitez said.Just like when he joined the President on his trip to China, the mayor said he also hopes to find investors and investments for Bacolod City during the Japan visit to create more employment in the city.Benitez said his visit to China was very fruitful because investors who manufacture electric service vehicles are in Bacolod now doing their due diligence.Their proposal is to put up a factory in ...

The bodies of three unidentified suspected NPA rebels were found following a series of encounters with the 94th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Bugne, Barangay Oringao, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Saturday and Sunday, February 4 and 5, the Army reported.Kabankalan Mayor Benjie Miranda said 283 families with 822 individuals had evacuated to the Oringao covered court as of Sunday afternoon.The encounters took place at 5 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Sunday.Fed-up by the rebels’ daily extortion of food, the Sitio Bugne residents reported their presence prompting the 94IB soldiers to conduct a security operation, the Army reported.While in the vicinity of Sitio Bugne, the 94IB soldiers encountered 15 armed rebels. Sensing the overwhelming firepower of the government troops, t...

Some of the nine persons rescued*EB Magalona PIO photoNine persons were rescued in the waters off barangays Tomongtong and Gahit in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, by members of the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council at 8 a.m. Saturday, February 4.Rescued were seven residents of Manapla town and two of Ajuy town (Iloilo), who all work in a fishpond in Ajuy, EB Magalona reported.Their boat capsized on Thursday, February 2.The Municipal DRRMO then endorsed them to the Manapla and Ajuy local governments.*