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The water that overflowed on Thursday*Bacolod PIO photoThe water that overflowed on the road leading to the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod, because of heavy rain rendered it impassable to smaller trucks and caused a backlog in garbage collection.Only bigger garbage trucks could pass on Wednesday and Thursday, Carmela Arcolas Gamboa, executive assistant to the mayor, said on Friday, January 13.The total backlog in garbage truck trips was 53 for two days, she said.So starting Friday to Sunday, IPM-Construction and Development Corp. (IPM-CDC), the garbage hauler of Bacolod City, should have 117 trips a day to catch up, she said.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez said the access road to the landfill is being cemented to address the difficulty of garbage trucks get...

Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez, City Tourism Officer Ma. Teresa Manalili, Councilor Jason Villarosa, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Crispin Chua, Oddette Ong Gomez and Jennifer Gochangco Ong (l-r) at the Bacolaodiat Festival press conference on Friday.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said 18th edition of the Bacolaodiat Festival set January 20-22 to usher in the Chinese New Year should also be a time to start moving on after the COVID-19 pandemic.This will be the start of a better year to come and a signal to return to normalcy, he said.The new COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City have been relatively low and there are even days when there are no reported cases, Benitez said at a press conference on Friday, to announce the Bacolaodiat Festival activities.“It’s now re...

The accident at the Circumferential Road Friday afternoon.*XFM photoA couple died after their motorcycle was hit by a fuel tanker at the intersection of Bangga Cory and the Circumferential Road in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City, at 3:15 p.m. Friday, January 13.Killed was the motorcycle driver Jim Carl Huertas Macaya, 26, of Barangay Singcang and his girlfriend Angelu Magdaraog, 20, of Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod, PSSgt. Jose Marie Dela Paz said.The fuel tanker with Plate No. NBL 9261 was driven by Laurence Dalida Pandes, 28, of Prk. Sambag, Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod, who is now in police custody.Pandes was traveling from west and executing right turn when he accidentally hit the motorcycle, a police report said.Macaya died instantaneously while Magdaraog passed away at the C...

A missing Hungarian national was found dead at the shoreline of Purok Batad Barangay Sampinit, Bago City, Thursday, January 12.Laszlo Matyas, 63, had been missing since Monday, January 9, PSMS Job Ogares said Friday.There appeared to be no foul play based on their investigation, Ogares said.The victim was taking medicine for prostate cancer and a heart ailment, his live in partner Jane Alvarez told the police.Alvarez said she returned to their house at Purok Mahidaeton Brgy. Sampinit, from the market at 12 p.m. January 9 and Matyas was missing.She searched for Matyas but when he was nowhere to be found she sought the help of the police.The Hungarian arrived in Brgy. Sampinit on Oct. 6, 2022 after Alvarez met him in an online dating site.*

An 11-year-old boy drowned in Hda. Camantero 1, Brgy. Guimbala-on, Silay City, Negros Occidental, at 4 p.m. Thursday, January 12.A group of children were swimming at the overflow in the area, when the victim jumped into the culvert and was swept away by strong current, the police said.The boy was trapped inside the culvert which resulted to his drowning.His playmates sought help and a crew of the Silay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office who brought the victim to the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.*

A total of 4,476 families with 15,198 members were affected by flooding brought on by heavy rains in 41 barangays in five towns and four cities in Negros Occidental, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Merle Garcia reported at 3 p.m. Friday, January 13.There were 342 residents who evacuated. One house was destroyed and two were damaged in Barangay Cabatangan, Talisay City, while two others were also damaged in Sagay City, she said.Affected by the flooding were 7,663 residents of San Enrique, Valladolid - 5,795, Cadiz City – 878, Cauayan – 272, Candoni – 243, Sagay City - 169, Bago City – 115, Ilog – 49, and Talisay City -14.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the provincial government provided assistance in the form of rice, can goods and hygiene kits.Meanwhile, 55 p...

The Bacolod police seized P176, 800 in suspected shabu from a jobless man at Purok 6 Litub, Brgy Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, 10:13 p.m. Thursday, January 12.Nabbed in the buy-bust operation was Willyzer Latiba Colanggo, alias Toto Wil, 34, of Purok 6 Litub, the police reported.The police confiscated an estimated 26 grams of shabu, the report added.The Bacolod City Drug Enforcement Unit operatives led by PCapt. Joven Mogato, who conducted the operation, also seized the P600 buy-bust money.*

The New People’s Army (NPA) denied that a rebel was killed in an encounter with the 94th Infantry Battalion at Purok Maliko-liko, Sitio Cunalom, Barangay Carabalan in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, on Monday, January 9.Ka Maoche Legislador, Apolinario Gatmaitan Command spokesperson, in a statement Wednesday said no encounter took place and killed was farmer Jose Gonzalez, 49, of Purok Maliko-liko.Gonzalez' daughter said her father was taken by eight personas who presented themselves as NPA members on the evening of January 8. After her father left she and her common-law husband heard gunshots around midnight, Legislador said.The call for "local peace talks” by Col. Michael Samson, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, is a murderous psychological warfare that is a failed attem...

The rockslide at the Eco-Translink Highway in San Carlos City Thursday morning.*San Carlos City LGU photoFlooding brought on by heavy rains has affected 3,301 residents, 1,038 of whom evacuated, in three cities and two towns in Negros Occidental, a Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) report said Thursday, January 12.A rockslide also rendered one lane of the Eco-Translink Highway in San Carlos City impassable Thursday morning.Passengers and rolling cargo were also stranded at the San Carlos City port.Flooding affected 1,116 families with 3,301 members in Sagay, Bago and Cadiz cities, and Valladolid and Cauayan towns, the PSWDO report as of 2 p.m. Thursday said.In Sagay City 161 persons were affected and two houses were damaged, while in Bago City 115...