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Five employees of the Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist have been formally charged for grave misconduct and preventively suspended for 60 days.They are Engineer IV Jimlo Garsula, Engineers III Ramelo Letran and German Abihay, Engineer 1 Resin Palacios and Maria Luisa Abaño of the OPA, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said Thursday, August 25.They were served their preventive suspensions on Tuesday, August 23, which took effect effective immediately, he added.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson agreed with the findings of the Provincial Legal Office and signed the formal charges for grave misconduct against the five for misuse of a government vehicle, he said.The five OPA staff made the vehicle and its driver wait beyond office hours while they engaged...

Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez welcomed its new Culture and Ethics officer, Dr. Joselito Diaz, who has many years of experience as a guidance and evaluation center director of the University of St. La Salle.Diaz will assist in the city’s workforce on psychological development which focuses more on mental health and is planning to conduct regular monthly motivational talks and bi-monthly videos on psychological enrichment for Victoriahanons.“He will be in charge of building culture and ethics which will be up to standard over City employees and eventually our constituents and he’ll open, along with his staff, a mental health desk for everyone who needs consultation, especially on anxiety brought about by work and the pandemic,” Benitez said.He is a licensed guidance ...

SRA board members Pablo Luis Azcona and Ma. Mitzi Mangwag, and Acting Administrator David Alba take their oaths before Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer (l-r) on Wednesday,*The 150,000 metric tons (MT) of imported refined sugar is expected to arrive in the Philippines before November 15, Acting Administrator David Alba of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said on Wednesday, August 24.“The target date for the shipment to arrive should be before November 15. Why November 15? Because by that time, our refineries will be operational and we would have enough supply of sugar,” he said.It was agreed during a Sugar Board meeting chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday that the importation would be covered by Sugar Order No. 2 but consultation with stakeholders on the mec...

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) warned the public on Wednesday, August 24, against claims that there are kidnappers in the city and other parts of the country victimizing children and teenagers.Lt. Col. Sherlock Gabana, BCPO public information officer, said the “fake” messages spread through social media have caused alarm and confusion to the public.The messages also state the type and color of the vehicles used by the alleged kidnapping group.“The BCPO would like to inform the public once and again that the messages are not true, there is no reported kidnapping in Bacolod City,” Gabana said.He further stressed that there is no kidnapping group operating in Bacolod.Gabana also said that an investigation is being conducted to identify the people or group behind the...

The public hearing last week attended by the CENECO management.*CENECO photoThe board of directors of Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. (CENECO) are being urged to attend the next Sangguniang Panlungsod hearing regarding its financial status and refund to consumers.This, after they failed to show up at last week’s hearing that was presided by Bacolod City Councilor Kalaw Puentevella.The councilor said that the invitation to attend the hearing was sent, but the board members did notshow up. Only those from the management led by acting CENECO general manager Ervin Stan Leo Ticar were present.Puentevella said he is expecting the board members to show up in the next hearing, which will be either next week or the succeeding week.He said the board has a lot to clarify,...

Acting Administrator David Alba of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (center) and SRA board members Pablo Luis Azcona and Ma. Mitzi Mangwag at a press conference in Bacolod City Wednesday.*CPG photoThe new officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Wednesday, August 24, vowed to work to make the Philippines self-sufficient in sugar in three years.SRA Acting Administrator David Alba and board members Pablo Luis Azcona and Ma. Mitzi Mangwag, who attended the opening of the 68th Philippine Sugar Technologists Association Inc. (Philsutech) annual national convention at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City, announced their three-year goal at a press conference.The marching order of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is for the Philippines to be self-sufficient in ...

The seized drugs in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City*PDEA photoFour persons were arrested in a drug bust operation at Purok Pag-asa, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, Tuesday night, August 23.Nabbed were suspected drug den maintainer Marlon Treyes, 37, Cherry Panes, 40, Junie Alisbo, 32, and Airene Cantiga, 36.The operation led by the operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental led to the seizure of 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000, the P500 buybust money, a coin purse and drug paraphernalia.The suspects are now facing drug charges.*

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez welcoming the guests to the 68th Philippine Sugar Technologists Association Inc. annual national convention.*Bacolod PIO photoBacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Wednesday, August 24, that he was informed that about 90 percent of the Bacolod’s hotel rooms are already booked for the MassKara Festival in October.The festival is set from October 21 to 23 with the theme “Balik Yuhum (Bring back the smiles)”.Benitez, who welcomed the about 850 guests to the 68th Philippine Sugar Technologists Association Inc. annual national convention at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City, urged them to join the MassKara Festival and make their bookings early.“I hope that you make your bookings early because I heard that our rooms...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Wednesday, August 24, that a public-private partnership or a loan are among the options being studied to fund the rehabilitation of the three main markets of Bacolod City.“We will see what we can afford,” he said.“There is an initial plan, I will have to discuss this with the stakeholders, with the vendors, so they can give their suggestions,” Benitez said.The initial proposal is for the allocation of P1.5 billion for the rehabilitation of the Burgos, Libertad and Central markets, City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said.He said P500 million per market is being eyed.The costing and where to source the budget is being studied, Maghari also said.The target is to complete the rehabilitation within the term of Benitez, he said....

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (right) discuss their joint response to monkeypox.*Richard Malihan photoBacolod City and Negros Occidental will come up with a unified screening and detection plan against monkeypox, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Wednesday, August 24.Benitez and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson discussed their joint response on Wednesday following the detection of one monkeypox case in Iloilo province.The mayor and the governor told DIGICAST NEGROS on Tuesday that the detection of a monkeypox case in Iloilo will not necessitate the closing of borders.“There is no need to close borders, we will just heighten our screening at ports of entry,” Benitez said.They will put up thermal scanners at all ports of entry as one of ...