Top Stories

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Guv places NegOcc on blue alert, majority of LGUs suspend classes

Flooding in Sitio Tanao, Brgy. Poblacion 2, Sagay City, Wednesday.* Sagay PIO photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson placed Negros Occidental on blue alert and classes in almost all of the local government units in the province were cancelled as rain continued to pour on Wednesday, January 11.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez also suspended elementary and high school level classes in Bacolod City on Wednesday.Lacson suspended work at provincial government offices, except for those tasked with emergency response, at 4 p.m. Wednesday “for the safety of everyone.”Mayor Neil Lizares said the suspension of classes at all levels in Talisay City would continue until Thursday to give Talisaynons “a chance to recover from the after effects of the heavy downpour and because of the continuing for...

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Pamittan has responded to resignation call – guv

Top Stories

PCol. Leo Pamittan, Negros Occidental police director.*PCol. Leo Pamittan, Negros Occidental police director, has responded to the call of Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and tendered his courtesy resignation, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday, January 11.Abalos had called for all police colonels and generals to file their courtesy resignations in an effort to help purge the Philippine National Police (PNP) of cops involved in the illegal drug trade.The PNP Region 6 officers, including Pamittan, “came up with a common stand and offered themselves for further evaluation and assessment,” Lacson said.Lacson earlier said the call of Abalos for the courtesy resignations is still part of the war against drugs.“I understand they actually have names of these PNP...

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Alvarez optimistic on passage of substitute bill creating NIR

Top Stories

Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District)*Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) is optimistic the substitute bill seeking the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR), which will include Siquijor, will be approved by Congress.The bill that states that the Negros Island Region would be composed of Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Bacolod City and Siquijor was approved by the House Committee on Local Government on Tuesday, January 10, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said.Alvarez said the bill will then have to be approved by the House Committee on Appropriations, before moving to plenary debate for second reading and nominal voting for approval on third reading.The senators are waiting for the Lower House to approve the bill so they can m...

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Police arrest 2 suspects in La Castellana robbery

Top Stories

Two of the suspects in a robbery that left a job order employee of the La Castellana Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and a teacher injured have been arrested, the police reported Wednesday, January 11.Shaem Job Magaspag Galimba, 34, and his mother Chona Magaspag Galimba, 60, were injured when the robbers blocked their vehicle at Sitio Lapak, Brgy Robles in La Castellana, and shot at them.Arrested were Rene Boy Espinos Abrico, 45, and Augusto Tubongbanua Jr., 39, of Hda. Wawa, Brgy. Pandanon-Silos, Murcia, who each possessed P2,500 each, the police said.The suspects were arrested at Hacienda Isabel, Brgy. Sag-ang, La Castellana.The suspects and their companions robbed their victims of P24,000, two cellular phones and jewelry worth P50,000, the police said...

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

BOSS extended to Feb. 15

Business, Top Stories

The Business One Stop Shop at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central.*Bacolod PIO photoThe Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the extension of the city government’s Business One Stop Shop (BOSS) deadline at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central to February 15, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said Wednesday, January 11.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez had asked for the extension of the BOSS that grants a 10 percent discount for the 2023 first quarter payment of business taxes, fees and charges for permits and licenses from January 1 to 20, Councilor Al Victor Espino said.There will be no discounts but no penalties will be charged for one time payments from January 21-February 15, Espino, who chairs the SP Committee on Laws, Ordinances and Good Government, added.The BOSS aims to give conv...

Jan112023 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Sugar producers, millers submit proposals to boost productivity

Business, Top Stories

PSMA Executive Director Jesus L. Barrera, PANAYFED president Danilo A. Abelita, NFSP president Enrique D. Rojas and CONFED president Aurelio J. Valderrama Jr. sign the joint position paper calling for amendments to the Sugarcane Industry Development Act to improve farm productivity and mill efficiency.*The majority of the sugar producers and millers signed a joint proposal Wednesday, January 11, on measures to improve farm productivity and mill efficiency in response to the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to boost productivity in the sugar industry.The measures call for amendments to the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015, particularly the increase in annual SIDA funding from P2 billion to P5 billion, the creation of a dedicated Sugar Regulatory Administration...

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Security guard killed, work related angle eyed

Top Stories

The scene of the shooting.*PS6 photoA security guard died after he sustained multiple gunshot wounds at Mercury Street in Puentebella Subdivision, Brgy Taculing, Bacolod City, 8 p.m. on Tuesday, January 10.Killed was Joeser Jarabilla, 51, of Purok Planeta, Brgy. Taculing.Jarabilla, a guard at the BREDCO Port, was walking home when he was shot by an unidentified person or persons on board an Innova vehicle, the police said.Jarabilla was declared dead at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center, PCapt. Dax Santillan, Police Station 6 commander, said.They are investigating the possibility that Jarabilla’s death could have been work related, he added.*

Jan112023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Life saving instructor dies while scuba diving in Sipalay

Top Stories

Henry Aguillon in a photo posted on social media by his friends.*A member of the Philippine Life Saving Society (PLS) drowned while scuba diving in the waters of Brgy. 4, Sipalay City in Negros Occidental, Tuesday afternoon, January 10.Henry Aguillon, 57, of Himamaylan City suffered from cardiac arrest that is believed to have caused his drowning, Danilo Bogtae, Sipalay Emergency Assistance and Rescue Services head, said Wednesday.He was scuba diving with four other PLS members when the incident occurred, Bogtae said.Aguillon was a co-founder of the Negros Rescue Federation and the SPEARS (Special Personnel for Emergency Assistance and Rescue Services), and a former self defense and water safety and basic life support instructor.*

Jan102023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

2 more provincial gov’t execs not renewing city consultancies

Top Stories

Lucille Gelvolea, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Dr. Mary Ann P. Maestral (l-r)*Two other provincial government executives are not renewing their contracts as pro bono consultants of Bacolod City.The two are provincial Economic Enterprise Development Division head Lucille Gelvolea who had served as Bacolod’s consultant for Special Projects and Economic Affairs, and Dr. Mary Ann P. Maestral, Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital chief for Health and Hospital Concerns.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz also said earlier that he is not renewing his contract as Bacolod consultant on Administrative Matters and Systems Review.Diaz said they did not need to be appointed consultants, they will continue to assist Bacolod ...

Jan102023 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Diaz: Appointment of GSO head, assistant prov’l accountant ok’d

Top Stories

Arnel Argusar and Jamira Magbanua*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has appointed a General Services Office head and assistant provincial accountant, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, January 10.The Negros Occidental provincial government selection board had approved the appointments of Arnel Argusar as GSO head and Jamira Magbanua as assistant provincial accountant, he said.Diaz said their appointments need to be concurred by the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan.The promotions of several others were also approved and vacant permanent positions were filled up, Diaz said.“We are trying to strengthen all of our departments by filling up vacant permanent positions,” he said.The provincial government is also aiming to grant its per...