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Steven DeVries and Chloe Doutre Roussel*A firm plans to put up a factory in Negros Occidental that will produce craft chocolates from unique locally grown cacao with a distinct taste.Ricardo Dominic Lopez, CY & Sons Group general manager, said on Thursday, January 26, that his mother Celina Yanson Lopez (CYL) wants to put Negros’ chocolate on the world map.The CY & Sons Group has a 50-hectare plantation in Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay City in Negros Occidental, with 35,000 Criollo variety cacao trees planted on 40 hectares, he said.“My mother wanted a unique business to stand out from any other business and put Negros on the chocolate map,” he said.“Our long term plan is penetrating the world chocolate market,” he said.Negrense farmer Chris Fadriga and CYL...

Mayor Joedith Gallego suspended classes at all levels in Silay City on Thursday, January 26, because of heavy rainfall over northern Negros Occidental.This is to protect students and teachers from flood threats, landslides and other hazards on their way to school, he said.Work in government offices was not cancelled, Gallego said.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said a low pressure area was causing the rain but the LPA remains less likely to develop into a tropical depression.Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will be experienced over the Visayas, it said.*

Close to P500,000 worth of pork and poultry products banned from entering Negros Occidental were intercepted in the first three weeks of January, Dr. Placeda Lemana, OIC provincial veterinarian, said Thursday, January 26.Lemana in a report to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that the African Swine Fever Task Force seized 331.75 kilograms of assorted pork-products from other parts of the country at seaports, checkpoints and markets in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City from January 1 to 22 estimated to cost P268,656.She said from January 14 to 20 the quarantine team inspected 3,592 incoming vehicles and refrigerated container vans at seaports and checkpoints in the province and only products with complete documents were allowed entry.Lemana also reported that 960 hogs were shipped ...

Negros Occidental continued to have the highest number of dengue cases in Western Visayas in the second week of January, the Department of Health (DOH) reported.There were 66 newly-reported dengue cases in Western Visayas for morbidity week two from January 8 to 14, bringing the total to 176 this year or 76 percent higher than the same period in 2022, the DOH said.The top provinces with the highest number of dengue cases in Western Visayas for morbidity week two are Negros Occidental with 22 for a total of 57 from the start of the year, Antique – 11 for a total of 30 and Capiz – 10 for a total of 17.*

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) have rescheduled power interruptions set this weekend.The NGCP will reschedule the shutdown of the Bacolod-San Enrique 69kV line affecting the Sum-ag and Hilangban substations to Sunday, January 29, from Saturday, January 28, CENECO announced.While CENECO rescheduled its preventive maintenance work affecting Asdes-Gonzaga Feeders 1 to 6 to January 28, Saturday, from its original date on Sunday January 29.The 12–hour NGCP power interruption will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Sunday and will affect the Sum-ag Substation and Hilangban Substation, CENECO said.The 9-hour CENECO power interruption will be from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.Those interested in more d...

A motorcycle driver was killed and two were injured in a multiple vehicle accident at crossing Bagong Dalan, Brgy. Cabahug, Cadiz City, Negroa Occidental, at 3:58 p.m. Wednesday, January 25, the Cadiz police chief said Wednesday.Killed was motorcycle driver Arlo Alacre Galleron, 31, of Brgy. Luna, Cadiz City.Injured were motorcycle driver Roger Moseca Decanay, 30, of Bacolod City, and cargo truck driver Arturo Moreno Pateno, 42, of Brgy. Magsaysay, Cadiz City.The suspect in the accident was dump truck driver Joseph Natad Coniendo, 53, of Sagay City.A cargo truck was traveling from south to north when its rear was accidentally bumped by the dump truck headed in the same direction.The dump truck also bumped two motorcycles on the opposite lane, while the cargo truck accid...

There will be power interruptions on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) announced Wednesday, January 25.The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) will shut down its Bacolod-San Enrique 69kV line affecting CENECO’s Sum-ag and Lag-asan substations to replace wood polls and conduct maintenance work on Saturday.CENECO will take advantage of this downtime by implementing simultaneous maintenance work, its acting general manager Arnel Lapore announced Wednesday, January 25.The 12–hour Saturday power interruption will be from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., he said.Areas affected are:Sum-ag SubstationSF1 From Sum-ag Substation to Sum-ag Highway, whole of Pta. Taytay Road including VMA, Sum–ag Highway to Medalla Elementary School, CEGASCO, ...

A Bacolod traffic enforcer was dismissed from the service for allowing a husband and wife onboard a motorcycle without helmets to escape after he was given P50.A video posted on Facebook showing a woman handing money to the traffic enforcer at La Salle Avenue in Bacolod had reached the attention of Maj. Junji Liba , Bacolod Traffic Authority Office head.Liba said two traffic enforcers flagged down the motorcycle of the couple but did not issue a violation ticket.The traffic enforcer who was handed the money was dismissed on Tuesday, while his companion was reprimanded.Liba said he hopes this serves as a lesson to other traffic enforcers.*

Governors Eugenio Jose Lacson and Roel Degamo.*Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has agreed to a meeting with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson to discuss the proposed creation of the Negros Island Region, which will include Siquijor.It is just a matter of setting the date, he has already spoken with Degamo, Lacson said Wednesday, January 25.Lacson said Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz is coordinating with the representative of Degamo, and he hopes the meeting can be held soon.It is possible that it could be next week, he said.Lacson and all of the representatives of Negros Island are supporting the move to create the NIR.Degamo, on the other hand, is against the move.Lacson earlier said he wants to meet with Degamo to discuss why he is oppose...