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Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez in a dialog with the transport sector on Friday, September 2.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Friday, September 2, asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) officials to grant 3,887 public utility jeepneys in Bacolod City special permits or provisional authorities to operate in the meantime, Diego Malacad, Negros Bacolod Transport Coalition secretary general, said.The mayor also asked that arrests be held off while he raises their concerns with Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, Malacad said.Malacad said drivers and operators representatives met with LTFRB Regional Director Richard Osmeña in the presence of Benitez on Friday because 99 percent of the PUJs in Bacolod are unregistered.“The LTFRB 6 w...

The scene of crime in Cauayan.*A force multiplier member was gunned down in front of his wife and daughter at Brgy. Poblacion, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, Thursday, September 1.Killed was 53-year-old Jimmy Calibjo, who was watching television in his house when an unidentified suspect entered and shot him twice.The assailant, along with his three companions who served as lookout, allegedly identified themselves as members of the New People’s Army. They also said they “will come back for the others.”The victim died on the spot.The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, in a statement, said it condemns in strongest terms the killing of the victim, whom they described as “a peacemaker.”Col. Leo Pamittan, provincial police director, has ordered the Provincial Invest...

Body of missing mother found.*Bago PNP photoThe body of a mother, who drowned with her 11-year-old daughter at Barangay Maao, Bago City, Negros Occidental, was found Thursday, September 1, following a three-day search.Myra Gargaceran, 43, was swept away in the river after she helped her daughter who tried to retrieve her slipper on Monday, August 29. The body of the minor was discovered hours later.The body of the mother was already bloated when she was found in the river by a resident.The strong current was triggered by heavy rains.*

DILG Bacolod City Director Ma. Joy Meredith Madayag*The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) again reminded Bacolod barangay officials to continue road clearing operations in their areas.DILG Bacolod City Director Ma. Joy Meredith Madayag said on Friday, September 2, that the barangay officials should continue with what they started and not allow obstructions to return to areas that have already been cleared.Barangay officials should show political will in enforcing and sustaining road clearing operations, she said.“Sustain the effort”, Madayag stressed, adding that a monthly assessment of the road clearing will be conducted.*

The recovered drugs in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, Thursday, September 1.*Police Station 7 photoA man who sold a sachet of suspected shabu worth P500 was arrested in a buy-bust operation Thursday, September 1, at a subdivision in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City.Nabbed was Zandro “Andoy” Velasco, 50, of Regent Pearl Homes Subdivision. He was said to be a street-level drug individual.During his arrest, he yielded 20 grams of suspected shabu worth P136,000, the buy-bust money, a pouch, and P3,420 in cash.He is now in the custody of Police Station 7 and is facing drug charges.*

Raffy Magno at the Angat Bukas learning hub in Himamaylan City.*Angat Buhay Foundation has launched a convergence program to address the gaps in nutrition and education in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, its Executive Director Raffy Magno said Friday, September 2.The convergence program called “Angat Bukas” aims to conduct a six-month nutrition program for 200 school age children who are “severely wasted or wasted”, he said.They have also launched community learning hubs in Himamaylan to address literacy and numerous other concerns of children that were aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.Recognizing the need to help children catch up in their learning, the community learning hubs are manned by volunteer tutors, Magno said.The Angat Buhay team met with Negr...

The Victorias City government tested its employees for drugs this week*Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Friday, September 2, that if ever the Negros Occidental provincial government conducts drug tests among its employees it will be unannounced.“It’s going be a surprise”, he said.Victorias City government’s surprise drug tests this week found ten job order casuals positive for the use of drugs, Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said on Thursday.It is good for local government units (LGUs) to conduct surprise drug tests, Lacson said, pointing out that it was also done when he was mayor of San Carlos City.“I think any LGU can do that, it’s still part of the program of cleaning up our bureaucracy,” he said.“If you are a government employee, whether you are even just a casual...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez discusses Bacolod's on-site housing project with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development representatives.*The on-site housing project, a flagship program of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, for informal settlers of Bacolod City is underway with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).A Memorandum of Understanding is expected to be signed by Benitez and DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino "Jerry" Acuzar on Saturday, September 3.Bacolod Councilor Vladimir Gonazalez said the project will involve 10,000 housing units.The city officials met with DHSUD representatives led by Undersecretary Jose Ramon Aliling at the Bacolod City Government Center on Friday.A consolidation was discussed in undertaking the housi...

NEDA Region 6 Director Arecio Casing Jr. (right) and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Capitol in Bacolod City on Friday, September 2.*A Negros Occidental Provincial Development Council (PDC) endorsement of the Guimaras-Negros bridge, as approved by the Department of Public Works and Highways, has been requested.The request was made by Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Aberlado Benitez, who heads the Western Visayas Regional Development Council, and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, September 2.The Negros Occidental PDC will convene on September 9.Benitez earlier said that President Ferdinand Marcos is supporting the plan to build the Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridges.NEDA Regio...

The meeting on the MassKara sa Panaad held Thursday night, September 1.*The MassKara sa Panaad in Bacolod City will be held October 10 to 16.The Negros Association of Chief Executives led by its president, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez, and the mayors are sitting down to discuss the participation of Negros Occidental in Bacolod’s MassKara Festival, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Friday, September 2.The Negros Occidental local government units will participate by opening their pavilions at the Panaad Park in Bacolod, Lacson said.The Negros ACE president and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz met with Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and the Yuhum Foundation team managing the festival Thursday night to discuss the participation of the province in...