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Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran (4th and 5th from left) with their Grupo Progreso slate Wednesday, October 6.The Mayor Evelio Leonardia-led Grupo Progreso is set to unveil its platform of government at a press conference at the Business Inn in Bacolod City at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 24.Leonardia deferred to discuss details of the GP platform, saying they don't want to preempt its contents before it is presented by the slate to members of the media, a press release from his camp said Wednesday.The group's three-pronged program is primarily anchored on the areas of health and social services, economy and infrastructure development and the Smart City framework for local government.Also to be presented are the vision and mission of the GP, a polit...

Leaders of transport groups in Bacolod City aired their disappointment at the failure of Regional Director Richard Osmeña of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to attend a scheduled dialog to listen to their grievances on Tuesday, March 22.Osmeña, however, sent LTFRB representatives to listen to their concerns and promised to join a dialog with them early next week.The transport leaders said the decrease in fuel prices on Tuesday was not enough to mitigate previous increases.Gasoline prices decreased by P5.45 per liter, diesel by P11.45, and kerosene by P8.55 on Tuesday but could go up again next week.The transport leaders had called off their two-day transportation strike on Monday after Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya and Rep. Stephen Paduano (Aba...

Richard Malihan photoThe camps of Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia and his challenger Alfredo “Albee” Benitez are staging rallies to kick off the official local campaign period in Bacolod City, while Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer are joining opening salvos in various towns and cities.Leonardia’s Grupo Progreso is expected to hold a caravan on Friday, March 24, and a rally on Saturday.Benitez said his Asenso Bacolod team is holding a caravan and rally at the Paglaum Stadium on Saturday, but are still working on getting a permit.Meanwhile, Lacson said he and Ferrer will be joining separate rallies in various towns and cities to cover more ground on a daily basis since both of them remain a tandem and will campaign for each other....

Sipalay PNP photoA public school teacher died after she figured in an accident along the national highway of Brgy. Maricalum in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, on Monday, March 21.The fatality was identified as Grace Amor Bornes, 26, of Brgy. Canturay.The victim was driving her motorcycle when it collided head-on with a truck driven by Marlon Cañete, 33, of Brgy. Nabulao.The truck’s chassis malfunctioned causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle, the police said.The truck almost hit another motorcycle, whose driver was able to avoid the collision but sustained an injury.The truck driver was detained at the Sipalay police station.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, March 22, that with the improvement in its COVID-19 vaccination drive Negros Occidental can probably be placed under Alert Level 1 although he does not mind if it stays under Alert Level 2, especially during the campaign period.Negros Occidental remains under Alert Level 2 with minimal COVID-19 risk, the Department of Health reported Monday.The province has fully vaccinated 59.45 percent of its target population, and 56.53 percent of its target senior citizen population against COVID-19, it added.Meanwhile, there were six local government units in Negros Occidental that had no active COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.The six were Binalbagan, Calatrava, Candoni, Salvador Benedicto, Ilog and Manapla, the Provincial Incident Management Team re...

Police Station 7 photoA 14-year-old boy who allegedly stole scrap materials at a subdivision at Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, on Sunday, March 20, was shot by a security guard.Initial police investigation showed that the security guard identified as Mark Gil John Capanas, 30, saw two minors who were allegedly stealing scrap materials at the area, which prompted him to fire his 12-gauge shotgun.It hit one of the minors.The 14-year-old was assisted by the Handumanan Emergency Response Unit and was brought to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.Meanwhile, the security guard surrendered to the police.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Board Member Ryan Gamboa at the Radyo Negrense relaunching.*Capitol photoThe Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in Murcia is targeted to reopen in April, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, March 22.The resort was closed for repairs following typhoon “Odette” in December.“We really want to reopen it, that’s our way of bringing back normalcy in the province, to spur the economy and to promote tourism, “he said.Lacson said there will be minor adjustments to the resort’s rates.The governor also led the relaunching of the provincial government’s Radyo Negrense 100.3 FM on Tuesday.Radyo Negrense will serve as a medium for development communication for the benefit of the community. It will focus on information dissemina...