Top Stories

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the passage of a law creating the Negros Island Region (NIR) by December would be a nice Christmas gift.Lacson was upbeat Thursday, March 2, following The House of Representatives approval of House Bill 7355 seeking the creation of the NIR on second reading.The bill states that the new region will be composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.“I think it’s really very positive, it looks like it’s really going to happen,” Lacson said.He congratulated the Negros and Siquijor representatives for their efforts to see to it that the new region will happen.Since it passed on second reading it looks like it will automatically pass on third and final reading in the Lower House, he said.“We will then have ...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson called on all those intending to run in the October 30 barangay election to keep it peaceful.“I am calling on all those who are intending to run to assure that it will be a peaceful election…we want it as peaceful as possible,” he said.The barangays officials who can still run have finally realized that the election will not be postponed again and are preparing for it, he said.Lacson said there have been no reports of private armed groups operating in Negros, “we are mostly peaceful here in Negros”.The filing of certificates of candidacy for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will be on July 3 to 7, and the campaign period will be from October 19 to 28, the Commission on Elections announced.*

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, March 2, stressed the need to support the legal operator of Small Town Lottery (STL) in Negros Occidental.Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Negros (PCSO) Negros Occidental branch manager, Jose Manuel Villagracia, in letters to Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer appealed for their full support for the STL operations of Super Lucky Beagler Inc. in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City.STL operations in the province other than that of Super Lucky Beagler Inc. are illegal, Villagracia said.“Definitely we should not support illegal STL operations,” Lacson said.“I intend to call the manager who made that letter to find out what’s the background of this. I’d like to get more information, there might be something that I ...

Anyolina Sibil holds up a picture of her missing son Dennis.*Romeo Subaldo photoMayor Raymund Tongson said on Thursday, March 2, that they are looking into the report that a resident of Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, went missing following an encounter between government soldiers and the New People’s Army (NPA).Anyolina Sibil, 61, said she had been looking for her 24-year-old son Dennis, who is a farm laborer, since Wednesday night.They were informed that two men took her son away on his motorcycle after the encounter.She was very worried and had not eaten, the mother said.Tongson said Dennis Sibil from Sitio Tapol, Barangay Carabalan, was not among the four dead rebels.Four NPA rebels were killed and two government soldiers were injured in the encounter in Br...

Mayor Renato Gustilo meeting with the health teams in San Carlos City.*The Department of Health (DOH) teams that arrived in San Carlos City are assisting the local government in stepping up water analysis in areas hit with acute gastroenteritis and amoebiasis cases.Joe Recalex Alingasa Jr., City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer, said on Thursday, March 2, that all 18 barangays of San Carlos City have been hit with a total of 610 acute gastroenteritis and amoebiasis cases from January to March.Two deaths have also been recorded, he added.Alingasa said there were 107 cases in January, 459 in February and 44 in March, 60 percent of which were for amoebiasis.There were 41 active cases at the San Carlos City Hospital and 24 home-managed as of Thursday, he said....

Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez, right, during the meeting of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Standing Committee on Early Childhood Care and Development and Basic Education.*“We need to remember to keep the learner at the very center of everything that we are trying to do”, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ, 3rd District) said Wednesday, March 1.Benitez delivered the closing remarks during the meeting of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Standing Committee on Early Childhood Care and Development and Basic Education.Benitez, co-chairperson of the Standing Committee and one of the Commissioners of EDCOM 2, highlighted the importance of pushing for reforms that undertake a “whole of society-approach” that underlines partnersh...

The seized buckle knife.*A Bago resident who punched a sleeping man was stabbed to death at 10 p.m. Wednesday, March 1.John Michael Bryan Cornelio, 22, was killed while at a birthday party of a relative at Purok Kasantulan, Brgy. Mailum, Bago City, Negros Occidental.The suspect Domy Cahilig Pasigado, 56, was arrested, the police said Thursday.The victim and the suspect had joined a drinking session at a birthday party, the police said.Cornelio then had a heated argument with other visitors at the party and punched some of his relatives and the suspect who was sleeping on a chair.Due to drunkenness Pasigado got his buckle knife and stabbed Cornelio several times hitting his chest, the police report said.The victim was brought to the Bago City Hospital but was dec...

The seized drugs in San Carlos City.*Five persons were arrested and P567,868 in drugs were seized in San Carlos and Victorias cities on Wednesday, March 1.Two were arrested and 63.51 grams of suspected shabu valued at P431,868 were seized in a buy bust operation at Hacienda Sta. Ana, Brgy. Palampas, San Carlos City.Arrested were Herfrance Villagracia Tuhao, 21, and a female minor of San Carlos City, the police said.The two are detained at the San Carlos City Police Station custodial facility.Three others were arrested and 20 grams of suspected shabu estimated at P136,000 were seized at Zone 5, Salvacion, Brgy. 6, Victorias City.Nabbed were Jerry Hino-o Magallanes, alias Jerry Bulaho, 44; Loremae Abbuyo Combate, alias Kayot, 36; and Daniel Jarden Isuga, alias Dandan,...

Bacolod City government employees and barangays joined the nation in welcoming the first day of National Women’s Month on Wednesday, March 1.The city turned purple with employees donning purple shirts, while purple ribbons were tied on the doors of various offices and barangay halls, Councilor Celia Matea Flor said.The Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution enjoining the City of Bacolod to participate in and support the activities in observance of National Women's Month for the whole month of March.The resolution encourages all offices and agencies of the Bacolod City government to print and display the 2023 National Women's Day official banner in their offices and tie purple ribbons in their offices. All government employees are also encouraged to wear any purple-colored a...