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Fireworks over the Paglaum Stadium in Bacolod City capped the three-week MassKara Festival Sunday night.*Jerancy Antonio Productions photoMayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, October 25, that he believes Bacolod City exceeded its targets for the MassKara Festival as seen by the huge crowds during the three-week celebration that ended Sunday.The mayor, prior to the festival, said that the MassKara celebration was expected to draw 200,000 visitors and generate income of about P5 billion for Bacolod.“I think it’s probably even more,” he said, when asked on Tuesday if his targets were met.Bacolod has set the trend for the rest of the country to get back to normalcy and celebrate, Benitez said.Benitez said with the success of this year’s MassKara, hopefully in 202...

There are five new cholera cases in Negros Occidental and four in Bacolod City, the provincial and city health offices reported on Tuesday, October 25.Negros Occidental now has a total of 17 cases and Bacolod City has 13.The new cases in Negros Occidental are in Talisay City with three, and one each in EB Magalona and Calatrava, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported.Silay City and EB Magalona have recorded a total of five cholera cases each, and one death each.Talisay City now has a total of five cholera cases, while Victorias City and Calatrava have one each.The resurgence of cholera cases in Negros Occidental began in September this year. The province had no reported cholera cases since 2019, the PHO report said.Dr. Grace Tan, City Health Office Environment ...

Seized pork products destroyed in Kabankalan.*The African Swine Fever Task Force seized more pork products worth P35,249 that entered Negros Occidental from October 22 to 25, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Tuesday, October 25.The seized pork products worth P18,850 were shipped back and the rest valued at P16,399 were burned.The task force has seized pork products worth P214,099 since October 15, Diaz said.Seized from October 22 to 25 were chicharon, frozen pork, dinugu-an, embutido, chorizo, tocino, longganisa, lechon, adobo, karne prita, siomai and marinated pork from Iloilo, Cebu, Batanes, Caloocan and Aklan.The items seized from ASF free areas like Cebu had no documents.They were seized at the BREDCO and Banago ports, Bacolod-Silay Airport, and i...

Nine suspected thieves from Manila were arrested Sunday, October 23, in Bacolod City.First to be arrested was 42-year-old Elaine Guarin, who was allegedly caught using the credit card owned by her pickpocket victim at a mall in the city.Her eight companions were also arrested in a follow-up police operation.Maj. Ramel Sarona, Police Station 1 chief , said the nine suspects arrived last week for the MassKara Festival.He said the suspects' modus operandi is to target shoppers in supermarkets and malls.Sarona said the suspects got a total of P150,000 from their victims.They will be charged with theft.*

The culminating activity at the Bacolod City Police Office grounds on Monday, October 24.*BCPO photoThe Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) said the just concluded MassKara Festival was successful and generally peaceful.The Balik Yuhum-themed festival which concluded Sunday, October 23, recorded no major criminal incidents from October 1 to 23, the police said.Col. Thomas Joseph Martir, city police director, said the 23-day-festival was a total success as far as peace and order and public safety is concerned.“The whole of nation approach involving other government agencies used in major events made the festivities peaceful and orderly. The security preparations and the deployment of PNP personnel with BCPO force multipliers also proved effective in all of the festival venues,...

The scene of the crime in Calatrava on Sunday.*Calatrava PNP photoA man was shot to death while he was at a store in Barangay Ani-e, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, Sunday, October 23.Killed was Danilo Cuales, 52.Police said the victim was eating bread with his partner when he was approached by the suspect identified as 42-year-old Ronald Abadilla, who shot Cuales multiple times.The victim died on the spot, while the suspect fled to an unknown direction.Cuales and Abadilla got into a fight in 2018, which led to the victim hitting the suspect in the face, the police said.The police said the suspect may have taken the chance to retaliate against the victim.He is currently at large.*

The scene of the accident in Don Salvador Benedicto.*A kagawad of Barangay Bunga, Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, was killed after he figured in an accident on Saturday, October 22.Killed was 28-year-old Joelibert Toreno.The victim was found lying on the side of the road in Purok Estewetes in Barangay Bunga.Lt. Everly Canto, DSB deputy police chief, said the victim went drinking on Friday, October 21, and brought home his companion.Toreno's motorcycle overshot the road and hit the pavement that caused his death, the police said.*

The Provincial Veterinary Office has already been collecting blood samples of pigs in Negros Occidental for testing and the province still remains ASF free, Dr. Placeda Lemana, PVO officer-in-charge, assured Monday, October 24.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Agriculture (DA) Western Visayas office on Sunday, October 23, to test all pig breeding sites in the region to control the spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) after cases were detected in Iloilo.ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100 percent.The DA has been conducting a nationwide surveillance against ASF and has been requiring the collection of blood samples from pigs for testing by the Animal Health and Welfare Division of the Bureau of Animal Indu...

Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Mark Molina, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Eusebio Tanco (l-r) at the Paglaum Stadium on Sunday*STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. chairman Eusebio Tanco gave an additional P270,000 in cash prizes to the participating barangays in the MassKara street and arena dance competition at the Paglaum Stadium on Sunday, October 23.Tanco, who was at Paglaum enjoyed the performances and felt sorry for the performers who fainted, Mark Molina, STI West Negros University executive vice president, said Monday."As far as STI is concerned, it's not just the winning. It's the effort of every barangay that makes the festival a success," Molina said.STI, which owns WNC, gave the 17 participating barangays P10,000 each in prizes, he said....