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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his SONA on July 25.* PCOO photoThe creation of the Negros Island Region and the building of the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridge are on the top of their wish list, Negros Occidental officials said Monday, July 18.These are the two projects Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and Rep.  Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said they hope President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will include in his state of the nation address on July 25.Lacson said he would also like to hear what the game plan of the president is to revive the country’s economy.“The president for me has chosen very good people (for his Cabinet), now we need specifics,” Lacson said.Ferrer said he is glad the president...

Hermenegildo Serafica (3rd from left) at a Department of Agriculture meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, July 18.*More sugar planters’ groups have joined the call for former Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica to “vacate” his post, while Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said two Negrenses have been recommended to replace him.However, it appears that Serafica is still recognized as the SRA head.Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian included Serafica as SRA administrator among those invited to a meeting of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is concurrent agriculture secretary, on Monday, July 18.Ferrer and Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday that they are hoping Marcos  names a Negrense to replace Serafica.The...

Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District)*House Bill 1446 seeking the creation of the expanded Negros Island Region to be known as Region VI- B, which will include Siquijor,    may be approved on first reading sometime next week, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said Monday, July 18.The 19th Congress convenes on Monday.House Bill 1446 will be consolidated with the other bills seeking the creation of the NIR and will be sent to the Committee on Government Reorganization or the Committee on Visayas Development for deliberation, he said.Where the public hearings on the bill will be held will depend on the committee chairman, Benitez said.Benitez said he will propose that a hearing will be held in Negros Occidental.The...

Mayor Marvin Malacon, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Rep. Francisco Benitez (l-r) at the blessing and inauguration of the Land Transportation Office in EB Magalona on Monday, July 18.*A new Land Transportation Office that will bring services closer to the residents of the Third District of Negros Occidental was inaugurated in EB Magalona town on Monday afternoon, July 18.The inauguration was led by Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), author of the law creating the LTO district office in EB Magalona, and Mayor Marvin Malacon.“It is now common knowledge that the LTO Office in Bacolod City is oftentimes overloaded and congested, teeming with people seeking land transportation services from all over the province and Bacolod Ci...

Negros Occidental officials being briefed by the Aboitiz Power representatives on the planned Calatrava solar farm*Aboitiz Power Corp. is putting up a solar farm in Calatrava, Negros Occidental, that will produce 137 megawatts of power, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, July 18.Executives of Aboitiz Power led by Project Manager Cherry Orias met with the governor, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and members of the provincial board at the Governor’s Office at the Capitol in Bacolod City to brief them on their plan.Lacson said the solar farm will be established on property leased from the Valmayor family along the highway in Barangay San Isidro, Calatrava.The lease will be for 25 years, he said.Ferrer said the solar plant will help boost the power needs of the province....

The 17th shooting incident in Bacolod City since June claimed the life of a car mechanic.*Nico Delfin photoA car mechanic was shot to death by unidentified men in his rented home at Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, Sunday night, July 17.This is the 17th shooting incident in the city since June.Killed was Jose Eduardo Boot, 37.Maj. Ritchie Gohee, Police Station 4 commander, said that 24 empty cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol were found at the crime scene, while the victim sustained gunshot wounds in the front and back part of his body.He said the victim just alighted from his motorcycle when he was attacked by the gunman.He was able to run but he succumbed to the gunshot wounds.Police are yet to determine the motive for the killing.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (right) said he is meeting with Dr. Ernell Tumimbang this week.*Will a declaration of a state of calamity in Negros Occidental be needed amid the rising   dengue cases?Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, who has called the rise in dengue cases alarming, said he will consult with Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, to determine if a state of calamity is necessary.“Usually you declare a state of calamity when your regular budget is not enough” to address the problem, he said on Sunday, July 17.Lacson said he will know if the dengue situation is still manageable after his meeting with Tumimbang. Negros Occidental has the highest number of dengue cases in Western Visayas this year at 1,869 or an increase by 777 percent compared to ...

Seized in a buy-bust operation at Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City, on July 14.*BCPO photoMore than P200,000 worth of illegal drugs were seized in separate buy-bust operations in Bacolod City.Nabbed in Barangay Handumanan on July 14 was suspected street-level individual Romeo Madera Jr., 33.Confiscated from his possession were nine sachets of suspected shabu worth P190,400, the P1,000 marked money, a pouch, and P400 in cash.In Barangay Pahanocoy, 20-year-old Michael Enson of Purok Dubai, Brgy. Tangub, was caught after he sold illegal drugs on Sunday, July 17.During the bust, he yielded three grams of suspected shabu worth P20,400, P300 buy-bust money, and a coin purse.Both suspects are now in police custody and will face drug charges.*