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Bills requiring the registration of SIM card and seeking the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) are now up for signature by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) said Tuesday, October 4.Ferrer joined Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the ceremonial signing of the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections Postponement Act bills in Makati City on Tuesday.Copies of the two measures will then be submitted for the president’s approval and signature, she said.The SIM Registration Act seeks to put an end to SIM-enabled text and online scams, by requiring users to register their SIMs with valid identificatio...

The 15 Manokan Country stalls closed down Monday have resumed operations.*City PIO photoThe 15 stalls at the Manokan Country in Bacolod City that were closed down Monday for failure to pay rent arrears have resumed operations in time for the MassKara Festival.The 15 tenants were allowed to reopen after they signed compromise agreements to pay their arrears totaling about P7.1 million in 26 months, or until December 2024, City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said.Those who default on payments for two months and fail to obtain business permits will again face closure, he said.They are required to obtain business permits and undergo sanitary inspections by the City Health Office, Maghari said.*

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran at the meeting to address the flooding problem in Bacolod City.*Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez held a meeting with the Department of Public Works and Highways, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, and City Engineers Office on Tuesday, October 4, to come up with short and long term solutions to the flooding problem in Bacolod City.Twenty-two problematic areas where water rose from 0.5 to 2 feet during a downpour on Monday were identified.City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said these areas will be prioritized for declogging of drainages.There is a need for vendors and residents to have discipline in the disposal of waste, because the main cause of the flooding is the garbage clogging drainage systems, ...

Former president Rodrigo Duterte (3rd from left, seated) with Leo Rey Yanson, Mhel Sillador, Carmen Villanueva (l-r, seated), Bacolod Councilor Cindy Rojas, Guia Go, Bobby Rojas and Ginnette Yanson Dumancas (l-r, standing) in Talisay City Monday night.*Former president Rodrigo Duterte was in Negros Occidental Monday night, October 3, to visit the wake of a Bacolod resident who wrote a song for him during the COVID-19 pandemic.Duterte visited the wake of Freddie Mandajoyan Jr., 25, at the Valley of Peace chapel and had dinner with the Yanson family at their beach house in Talisay City before leaving for Davao Monday evening on a private plane, former Bacolod councilor Bobby Rojas said.Mandajoyan, also known as Jun Istalyon, of Barangay Granada, Bacolod, wrote the song “Hihilom a...

The scene of the crime in Brgy. Calampisawan, Calatrava.*A motorcycle rider was killed while his companion survived a gun attack at Brgy. Calampisawan, Calatrava, Negros Occidental on Sunday, October 2.Killed was 45-year-old Elmer Cueva, while injured was 35-year-old Jerald Bulanon, the motorcycle driver, of Escalante City.The two victims were on their way to their client in Calatrava to repair a TV when they were followed by two persons on a motorcycle.The victims fell from the motorcycle and were chased by their assailants, the police said.Cueva succumbed to the multiple gunshot wounds, while Bulanon sustained a gunshot wound to his arm.The police are still determining the motive for the incident.*

Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez delivering his first three months report*Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez on Monday, October 3, outlined the gains made by his administration with the implementation of his six-point agenda and more during his first three months in office.Benitez, who delivered his report at the Victorias City Sports and Amusement Center, said it was in fulfillment of his campaign promise to ensure transparency in governance.A lot of “first and only in Victorias” have been implemented in his first three months in office and more are yet to come, he said.“It is not yet perfect, but as I often say, we are getting there. And I’ll make sure that we will get there. The sooner we do it, the better,” he said.Under his six point agenda, Benitez said he...

A man was electrocuted after he attempted to enter his cousin’s house in Brgy. Galicia, Ilog, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, October 1.Killed was 38-year-old Joebert Varon, a construction worker.Police said the victim went to the house of the suspect, his cousin Andy Varon, 37, to confront him regarding their previous misunderstanding.But the suspect prevented the victim from entering his house by installing live electric wires on his front door, the police said.When the victim touched the front door he was electrocuted.The victim was brought to Ilog Municipal Health Center but was declared dead on arrival.The suspect is now in police custody following his surrender.*

Heavy rain triggered flooding in several parts of Bacolod City Monday afternoon, October 3.This prompted the MassKara Festival organizers to cancel a grand parade and market day, and the Toda King singing trike driver contest at the Bacolod Public Plaza set Monday afternoon and evening.The events will be rescheduled, festival director Pinky Ocampo said.Dr. Anna Maria Pornan, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) head, said they recorded 19 millimeters of rain within an hour, which is a huge volume of water.A thunderstorm triggered the strong rain with lighting and strong winds.There was flooding along various roads and the reclamation area in Bacolod, but it subsided in two hours, she said.There was also reported flooding in some areas in barangays...

The scene of the stabbing incident in Candoni, Negros Occidental.*A construction worker was stabbed to death at Barangay Poblacion East, Candoni, Negros Occidental, early Monday, October 3.Killed was Dionesio Malubay, 51.The victim was found lying on the ground with multiple stab wounds, the police said.He was rushed to Candoni Rural Health Unit but was declared dead on arrival.Police are still investigating the motive for the incident.*

One person died of rabies while nine others were also suspected to have succumbed to the deadly virus in Negros Occidental this year, the Provincial Health Office reported Monday, October 3.Rafael Marmolejo III, PHO Rabies Coordinator, said the increase in rabies deaths in Negros Occidental is alarming.The latest suspected rabies fatality is a 6-year-old child from San Carlos City, he said.Only four persons died from rabies in Negros Occidental last year, Marmolejo said.Negros Occidental has had 14,232 animal bite cases in the second quarter of 2022 or an increase of 25.49 percent compared to the same period last year, he said.Those bitten by dogs or other animals should wash their wounds with running water and soap for 10 to 15 minutes, and place betadine, Marmolejo sa...