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Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez delivering his first three months report*Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez on Monday, October 3, outlined the gains made by his administration with the implementation of his six-point agenda and more during his first three months in office.Benitez, who delivered his report at the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center, said it was in fulfillment of his campaign promise to ensure transparency in governance.A lot of “first and only in Victorias” have been implemented in his first three months in office and more are yet to come, he said.“It is not yet perfect, but as I often say, we are getting there. And I’ll make sure that we will get there. The sooner we do it, the better,” he said.Under his six point agenda, Benitez said he...

A man was electrocuted after he attempted to enter his cousin’s house in Brgy. Galicia, Ilog, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, October 1.Killed was 38-year-old Joebert Varon, a construction worker.Police said the victim went to the house of the suspect, his cousin Andy Varon, 37, to confront him regarding their previous misunderstanding.But the suspect prevented the victim from entering his house by installing live electric wires on his front door, the police said.When the victim touched the front door he was electrocuted.The victim was brought to Ilog Municipal Health Center but was declared dead on arrival.The suspect is now in police custody following his surrender.*

Heavy rain triggered flooding in several parts of Bacolod City Monday afternoon, October 3.This prompted the MassKara Festival organizers to cancel a grand parade and market day, and the Toda King singing trike driver contest at the Bacolod Public Plaza set Monday afternoon and evening.The events will be rescheduled, festival director Pinky Ocampo said.Dr. Anna Maria Pornan, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) head, said they recorded 19 millimeters of rain within an hour, which is a huge volume of water.A thunderstorm triggered the strong rain with lighting and strong winds.There was flooding along various roads and the reclamation area in Bacolod, but it subsided in two hours, she said.There was also reported flooding in some areas in barangays...

The scene of the stabbing incident in Candoni, Negros Occidental.*A construction worker was stabbed to death at Barangay Poblacion East, Candoni, Negros Occidental, early Monday, October 3.Killed was Dionesio Malubay, 51.The victim was found lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds, the police said.He was rushed to Candoni Rural Health Unit but was declared dead on arrival.Police are still investigating the motive for the incident.*

One person died of rabies while nine others were also suspected to have succumbed to the deadly virus in Negros Occidental this year, the Provincial Health Office reported Monday, October 3.Rafael Marmolejo III, PHO Rabies Coordinator, said the increase in rabies deaths in Negros Occidental is alarming.The latest suspected rabies fatality is a 6-year-old child from San Carlos City, he said.Only four persons died from rabies in Negros Occidental last year, Marmolejo said.Negros Occidental has had 14,232 animal bite cases in the second quarter of 2022 or an increase of 25.49 percent compared to the same period last year, he said.Those bitten by dogs or other animals should wash their wounds with running water and soap for 10 to 15 minutes, and place betadine, Marmolejo sa...

The Commission on Elections special provincial board of canvassers (SPBOC) proclaimed former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Ragay Degamo the winner of the 2022 gubernatorial race at the Comelec headquarters in Manila on Monday morning, October 3.“Finally justice is served”, Degamo said following his proclamation.The SPBOC in its updated certificate of canvass Monday said Degamo obtained 331,726 votes, while his closest opponent Gov. Pryde Henry Teves got 301,319 votes.The Comelec en banc nullified the May proclamation of Teves as governor of Negros Occidental after affirming an earlier resolution declaring a near namesake of Degamo as a nuisance candidate.The Comelec Second Division declared Ruel Degamo, whose real name is Grego Gaudia, a nuisance candidate in December 2021,...

Fifteen Manokan Country stalls were closed Monday morning.*Nico Delfin photoFifteen tenants at the Manokan Country whose stalls were closed down by the Bacolod City government Monday morning have been allowed to reopen after they signed an agreement to pay the balance of their arrears.The fifteen tenants who had arrears of P7.1 million reached a compromise agreement with the City Treasurer’s Office Monday afternoon.They paid part of their arrears and agreed to pay the balance on a staggered basis, City Treasurer Arlene Memoria said.Reopen orders were issued at 5:30 p.m. Monday after the 15 tenants signed compromise agreements to pay their balance, Bacolod City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said.Stall rental at the Manokan is P2,250 a month, Memoria said.However...

Mayor Marvin Malacon presides over the EB Magalona Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee meeting.*Mayor Marvin Malacon held a meeting with the EB Magalona Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee (LDWQMC), on Monday, October 3, to address concerns on water safety and quality, following the report of one cholera case and other possible water-borne diseases in the municipality.The committee is chaired by Malacon with Municipal Health Officer Dr. Edmundo Janeo as vice chair, and Councilor Edgardo Agravante Jr., chair of the Sangguniang Bayan Committee on Health, as one of the members.Among the recommendations of the Committee were to monitor water safety in the municipality by conducting Colilert test of water sources, require all water refilling stations and ...

New dengue cases in Western were below 500 for the sixth straight week, the Department of Health 6 reported Monday, October 3.The DOH reported that for morbidity week 38 from September 18 to 24 there were 192 new dengue cases in Western Visayas bringing the total cases for this year to 12,958, or 570 percent higher than in 2021.Negros Occidental still had the highest number of new cases at 75 for a total of 4,650 this year. The province total dengue deaths are at 28.But the number of new dengue cases in Negros Occidental reported on a weekly basis have been going down, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, assured.Tumimbang stressed the need to continue to be proactive in the fight against dengue by cleaning ones surrounding.Capiz came in second to Negros Occ...

The organizers of the 1st Balik Yuhom XC Race condemned the “malicious act” done by a group of spectators on one of their participants during the race on Sunday, October 2.In a viral post on social media, the culprits were seen fetching water from a stream by the race path and handing it to race participants, one of whom they filmed and made fun at and posted it on Facebook.Roseller “Jojo” Ramos, a member of the organizing group, Team Armands said that they immediately acted on the incident and got in touch with one of the three culprits as the two other suspects seemed to have deactivated their account. However, they got no response.The victim has filed a police blotter report and a complaint will be lodged before the barangay against the culprits.“We would like to put it ...