Himamaylan declares state of calamity, evacuees 15,000, death toll rises to 3

Soldiers assisting evacuees in Himamaylan City.*CSWDO photoHimamaylan City in Negros Occidental declared a state of calamity Monday, October 10, amid the series of encounters between government soldiers and rebels in one of its hinterland barangays.An encounter on Saturday left two government soldiers dead and six others injured, while a rebel was killed in a fifth clash between the 94th IB and about 10 New People Army rebels in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan, at about 5:30 p.m. Monday, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander, said.It was the fifth clash in Carabalan since Thursday.The Army is continuing its pursuit operations of the rebels who have split up into small groups and have sought cover in sugarcane fields, Pasaporte said.On the recommendation...

Oct102022 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

MassKara sa Panaad kicks off with groundbreaking show of unity

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A festive start to the MassKara sa Panaad Monday night* Ronnie Baldonado photoThe MassKara sa Panaad kicked off with lively festival dances from the towns and cities of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, in what was described as a groundbreaking show of unity, on Monday, October 10.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the mayors of Negros Occidental, and Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and the officials of Bacolod City gathered for the start of the week-long festivities at the Panaad Park in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod.Lacson, who rang a train bell to officially signal the start of the festivities, said “today’s MassKara sa Panaad is a groundbreaking event. As far as I can remember, this is the first time Negros Occidental was invited to join the MassKara Festival”.Negros Occiden...

Oct102022 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

VMC donates over P600,000 for upgrade of schools in Manapla, Cadiz, Victorias

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PNP's 605th Maneuver Company helped repaint the exterior and interior of schools in Manapla.*Armed with gallons of paint and construction materials, VMC Foundation, together with employees of Victorias Milling Company (VMC) and volunteers from the 605th Maneuver Company of the Philippine National Police, worked on repairing, repainting and upgrading a total of 27 schools in the cities of Cadiz and Victorias and the municipality of Manapla for its 2022 Brigada Eskwela Program.VMC President Minnie Chua said they are “committed to help enhance the quality of basic education and the improvement of the well-being of the people within its community,” and instead of the usual giving of school supplies for the students, they undertook repairs and upgrades of the schools in preparation for ...

Oct102022 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

1st Mayor Albee Benitez Archery Cup winners named

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The United Negrense Archery Club announced the winners of the 1st Mayor Albee Benitez Archery Cup on Monday, October 10.The event held in partnership with World Archery Philippines (WAP) and Yuhum Foundation was held at The Upper East Bacolod Grounds.Jose Blaire Ejercito, United Negrense Archery Club president, said the main goal of the event was to bring the City of Smiles back on the map of archery in the country as it has been decades since the city has had active organizations and activities related to the sport.The event was conceptualized after a conversation with WAP Secretary General Don Sombrio at the Philippine Archery Cup in July and it was decided that the perfect time to hold the event was during the Masskara Festival, he said.More than 70 archers from Barotac ...

Oct102022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Wounded soldiers receive medals, dead to get posthumous awards

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Cpl Rex Verde and Cpl Christian Drilon (l-r) who died in Himamaylan City.*Army photosWounded Personnel Medals were awarded to six government soldiers injured in an encounter with the New People’s Army in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said Monday, October 10.He said posthumous recognitions will also be given to the two slain soldiers in the same encounter.Killed in the encounter were Cpl Christian Drilon of San Enrique, Iloilo, and Cpl Rex Verde of Guimaras.The six wounded personnel were Cpl Joey Gardose, PFC Rolly Rama, PFC June Fuentes, PFC Lander, Private Wilchor Recaña and Sgt. Edgiel Ucag.Department of National Defense OIC Jose Faustino Jr. pinned the Wounded Personnel Medals on the...

Oct102022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Top DND, Army officials visit 6 injured; Governor calls two slain soldiers heroes

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Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr., Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro – Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. - Philippine Army commander, visited the injured soldiers on Sunday.*Top officials of the Department of National Defense and Philippine Army visited the six soldiers who were injured in an encounter with the New People’s Army in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, at a hospital in Bacolod City on Sunday, October 9Two soldiers, Cpl. Christian Drilon and Cpl. Rex Verde of Gumaras and Iloilo, were also killed in the same encounter on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander, said.Negros Occidental mourns the loss of the two soldiers, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.The enc...

Oct92022 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

Bringing relief assistance to community affected by clashes a ‘challenge’: mayor

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The city government of Himamaylan says it has been a challenge to bring assistance to the affected communities as their movement is limited for safety reasons.*CSWDO Himamaylan photoHimamaylan City Mayor Raymund Tongson said it has been a challenge to bring help to the community caught in the crossfire between the state troopers and rebels.The clashes between the soldiers and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, that started Thursday, October 6, have displaced thousands of residents, who have fled their homes. On the third day, October 9, two soldiers were killed, while six others were wounded.Tongson, in a phone interview Saturday night, October 8, said that they could not cover everyone on the ground as they are following the protocol...

Oct92022 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

Football referee injured as lightning strikes

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Lightning strikes an acacia tree at the Manuel Y. Torres Sports Center in Brgy. Balingasag, Bago City, Sunday, October 9, injuring a football referee.*Aquilah Baja photoA football referee was injured after lightning struck an acacia tree at the Manuel Y. Torres Sports Center in Brgy. Balingasag, Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, October 9.Injured was Charlie Panes, 24, of Brgy. Lag-asan, Bago.Police said that after the lightning hit the acacia tree at the east portion of the new grandstand, it bounced to the football ground, where the victim was.Panes experienced cramps and difficulty of breathing and was brought to the Bago City Hospital for immediate treatment. He was in stable condition Sunday night.After the incident, the game was temporarily stopped by the o...

Oct92022 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

Mechanic nabbed for drugs

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A motorcycle mechanic was arrested in a drug bust at Brgy Talubangi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Friday, October 7.Nabbed was Romy Ame, 36.He was caught in the act selling a sachet of suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer.Recovered from his possession were 20 grams of suspected shabu worth P136,000, the P1,000 buy-bust money, a sling bag, and a coin purse.The suspect is now in the custody of the Kabankalan police and facing drug charges.*

Oct92022 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Bacolod’s iconic Christmas Village turns silver, opens for MassKara

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Bamboo Tonogbanua beside the six refurbished original houses of his village.*Bacolod’s iconic miniature Christmas Village that is marking its silver anniversary this year has opened two months ahead of schedule in time for the MassKara Festival this October.The silver anniversary of the village, located at the ancestral home of artist Bamboo Tonogbanua at San Juan Street in Bacolod City, was celebrated on Saturday, October 8.And to mark its turning silver, it has undergone some major upgrades this year.The village first opened in 1996 but because of the COVID-19 pandemic it was closed for two Christmases that is why its silver anniversary is only being marked this year, Tonogbanua, who also celebrated his birthday on Saturday, said.Since the village started it has grown...