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Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District)*House Bill 1446 seeking the creation of the expanded Negros Island Region to be known as Region VI- B, which will include Siquijor,    may be approved on first reading sometime next week, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said Monday, July 18.The 19th Congress convenes on Monday.House Bill 1446 will be consolidated with the other bills seeking the creation of the NIR and will be sent to the Committee on Government Reorganization or the Committee on Visayas Development for deliberation, he said.Where the public hearings on the bill will be held will depend on the committee chairman, Benitez said.Benitez said he will propose that a hearing will be held in Negros Occidental.The...

Mayor Marvin Malacon, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Rep. Francisco Benitez (l-r) at the blessing and inauguration of the Land Transportation Office in EB Magalona on Monday, July 18.*A new Land Transportation Office that will bring services closer to the residents of the Third District of Negros Occidental was inaugurated in EB Magalona town on Monday afternoon, July 18.The inauguration was led by Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), author of the law creating the LTO district office in EB Magalona, and Mayor Marvin Malacon.“It is now common knowledge that the LTO Office in Bacolod City is oftentimes overloaded and congested, teeming with people seeking land transportation services from all over the province and Bacolod Ci...

Negros Occidental officials being briefed by the Aboitiz Power representatives on the planned Calatrava solar farm*Aboitiz Power Corp. is putting up a solar farm in Calatrava, Negros Occidental, that will produce 137 megawatts of power, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, July 18.Executives of Aboitiz Power led by Project Manager Cherry Orias met with the governor, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and members of the provincial board at the Governor’s Office at the Capitol in Bacolod City to brief them on their plan.Lacson said the solar farm will be established on property leased from the Valmayor family along the highway in Barangay San Isidro, Calatrava.The lease will be for 25 years, he said.Ferrer said the solar plant will help boost the power needs of the province....

The 17th shooting incident in Bacolod City since June claimed the life of a car mechanic.*Nico Delfin photoA car mechanic was shot to death by unidentified men in his rented home at Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, Sunday night, July 17.This is the 17th shooting incident in the city since June.Killed was Jose Eduardo Boot, 37.Maj. Ritchie Gohee, Police Station 4 commander, said that 24 empty cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol were found at the crime scene, while the victim sustained gunshot wounds in the front and back part of his body.He said the victim just alighted from his motorcycle when he was attacked by the gunman.He was able to run but he succumbed to the gunshot wounds.Police are yet to determine the motive for the killing.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (right) said he is meeting with Dr. Ernell Tumimbang this week.*Will a declaration of a state of calamity in Negros Occidental be needed amid the rising   dengue cases?Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who has called the rise in dengue cases alarming, said he will consult with Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, to determine if a state of calamity is necessary.“Usually you declare a state of calamity when your regular budget is not enough” to address the problem, he said on Sunday, July 17.Lacson said he will know if the dengue situation is still manageable after his meeting with Tumimbang. Negros Occidental has the highest number of dengue cases in Western Visayas this year at 1,869 or an increase by 777 percent compared to ...

Seized in a buy-bust operation at Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City, on July 14.*BCPO photoMore than P200,000 worth of illegal drugs were seized in separate buy-bust operations in Bacolod City.Nabbed in Barangay Handumanan on July 14 was suspected street-level individual Romeo Madera Jr., 33.Confiscated from his possession were nine sachets of suspected shabu worth P190,400, the P1,000 marked money, a pouch, and P400 in cash.In Barangay Pahanocoy, 20-year-old Michael Enson of Purok Dubai, Brgy. Tangub, was caught after he sold illegal drugs on Sunday, July 17.During the bust, he yielded three grams of suspected shabu worth P20,400, P300 buy-bust money, and a coin purse.Both suspects are now in police custody and will face drug charges.*

A woman was injured after she was shot by riding-in-tandem suspects at Sitio Malasbalas, Brgy. Orong, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Friday night, July 15.The victim was identified as Gennybie Niñal, 38, of  Sitio Manumbas, Brgy. Carol-an in the city.Based on the initial investigation, the victim was on board a multi-cab vehicle when she was waylaid and shot by one of the motorcycle-riding suspects.The victim sustained wounds on the  back of her shoulder. She was brought to Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital.Police are still investigating the motive for the incident.*

The removal of spaghetti wires along San Juan Street over the weekend.* Ronnie Baldonado photoThe removal and untangling  of  “spaghetti wires”  on posts along San Juan Street in Bacolod City was conducted during the weekend at no cost to the city, Councilor Al Victor Espino said Sunday.The removal was conducted by representatives of Central Negros Electric Cooperative, and cable and telecommunication  firms on orders of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.The aim is to remove  all of the “spaghetti wires” in the city in about 140 to 150 days, Espino said.They are looking at the removal of 70,000 linear meters of “spaghetti wires”,  he added.Benitez met with representatives of telecommunication firms on Sunday to also address their ...