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Consul General Hideki Yamaji turns the books over to Negros Occ. Board Member Rita Gatuslao, Provincial Librarian Rio Rio Lynne Panisa, and April Duran of the Special Projects and Concerns Division.*Consul General Hideki Yamaji of the Japanese consulate in Cebu led the turnover of books to the Negros Occidental Provincial Library in Bacolod City, on Wednesday, November 9.The books were received by Negros Occ. Board Member Rita Gatuslao, Provincial Librarian Rio Rio Lynne Panisa, and April Duran of the Special Projects and Concerns Division.The Read Japan Project was implemented in cooperation with the Nippon Foundation and the Japan Science Society together with the Consulate-General of Japan in Cebu.Negros Occidental Acting Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer hands gifts to Consul General...

Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez delivering his House Bill 05 sponsorship speech.*The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 05 or the In-City Housing Bill on second reading on Wednesday, November 9.Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), who authored and sponsored the bill for the establishment of an on-site, in-city, near-city, or off-city local government resettlement program,refiled it in the 19th Congress.He said the bill aims to uphold the rights of the urban poor to the city, save informal settler families from being relocated to faraway relocation sites, and empower informal settler families to design for themselves the development of their community through the People's Plan.Benitez, in his sponsorship speech, said "House Bill No. 5 aims ...

The Operation Smile volunteers at work at the Adventist Medical Center – Bacolod on Wednesday*Operation Smile volunteers began reconstructive surgery on indigent children with cleft lip and palate deformities at the Adventist Medical Center – Bacolod this week.They conducted 60 surgeries from Monday to Wednesday and hope to hit 73 by Thursday, November 10, Emiliano Romano, Operation Smile Philippines executive director, said.Among the beneficiaries of this year’s Operation Smile mission were 4-year-old twins who were abandoned by their parents, Edith Villanueva, Hope Foundation chairperson, said.The Operation Smile Negros Mission Team 2022*One twin underwent cleft lip surgery, while the other for the palate.The twins from Salvador Benedicto were abandoned by their 1...

The videoke house where the shooting incident took place in San Carlos City, Tuesday, November 8.*San Carlos PNP photoTwo men sustained injuries after they were shot in a videoke house at Barangay 5 in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, November 8.The victims were identified as 28-year-old Arnel Canete and 30-year-old Kier Sabordo.The victims were singing and drinking inside the videoke house when the unidentified gunman entered and shot Canete, while Sabordo was hit by a stray bullet, the police said.Canete had an altercation with someone before the incident, the police added.The police investigation is still ongoing.

Authorities consolidate Bacolod City’s drugs watchlist.*PIO photoThe Bacolod City Anti-Drug Abuse Council led the consolidation of the watchlist of illegal drug personalities in the city on Tuesday, November 8, at Balay Silangan, Barangay Singcang-Airport.With them were officials of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-6 (PDEA-6).PDEA provincial officers, chief intelligence police non-commission officers and police-community relations officers from all 10 police stations of the city counterchecked and consolidated local, regional, and national watchlists with the aim of having a coordinated and efficient drug clearing operation, especially at the barangay level.The participating law enforcement agencies and offices identified the stat...

The recovered drugs in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, Tuesday.*BCPO photoA barangay kagawad and her companion were arrested in a drug bust operation at Alijis-Taculing Road, Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, on Tuesday, November 8.Nabbed were Barangay Alijis Kagawad Abby Araneta, 28, and Freely Aldas, 39, of Barangay Mansilingan.Both were tagged by the police as high-value individuals.They were caught selling suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer in exchange for marked money.Confiscated from Araneta were 14 sachets of suspected shabu, the P5,000 buy-bust money, a cellphone, a sling bag, and P700 in cash believed to be cash proceeds.The recovered drugs have an estimated weight of 201 grams with a standard drug price of P1,366,800.The arrested persons are now lock...

Confirmed cholera cases in Negros Occidental have increased to 28 with Talisay City still having the most number, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said on Tuesday, November 8.Talisay City’s cholera cases increased to 13, he said.The other cholera cases were detected in Silay City with 8, EB Magalona - 6 and Victorias City - 1.One cholera case listed under Calatrava was counted to Bacolod City, he said.The cholera deaths in the province remain at two with Silay City and EB Magalona having one each.Tumimbang said of the water samples sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, only one from EB Magalona was positive for cholera.Cholera can also be food-borne, he said.The food and water borne suspected and confirmed cases in Negros Occident...

Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya filed House Bill 293 *The House Committee on Transportation is set to hold a hearing on a bill seeking the creation of a Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) office in Bacolod City on Wednesday morning, November 9.The committee will hear House Bill 293 filed by Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya.Gasataya, in his explanatory note on the bill, said with the rising economy in the Western Visayas region, particularly in the Metropolitan Bacolod area, motor vehicle use has been on an upward trend.This is evident in the growing volume of traffic especially in major thoroughfares, he said.Gasataya said this has resulted in a rise in the demand for services provided by the LTFRB in relation to franchise application, registration, regul...

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran announcing the LTFRB's granting of a two-week ceasefire.*The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has agreed to a two-week ceasefire on the arrest of Public Utility Vehicles in Bacolod City without franchises for failure to join the PUV Modernization Program of the national government, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran announced on Tuesday, November 8.The LTFRB, on the intervention of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, agreed to the ceasefire, Familiaran said.However, PUV operators without franchises and business permits must agree to join cooperatives or corporations to become part of the PUV Modernization Program, he said.Familiaran said during the two week period they need to submit deeds of undertakings and the requir...