Top Stories

RBSFM photoA woman died while a motorcycle driver was injured after they were hit by a pickup driven by a parish priest at the highway in Brgy. Binicuil, Kabankalan City, Monday night, April 25.Killed was 21-year-old Paulette Garcia, while injured was Regina Valdez.The pickup truck was driven by a parish priest from Ayungon, Negros Oriental.The tail light of the motorcycle was damaged so the priest did not see the motorcycle, the police said.The victims were taken to a hospital but Garcia was declared dead on arrival.The priest was detained but there has been a settlement with the victim’s family, the police said.*

Nico Delfin photoNegros Occidental has fully vaccinated 71 percent of its target population against COVID-19, but acceptance among senior citizens is still low, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said Wednesday, April 27.Only 54 percent of their target senior citizens have been fully vaccinated, Tumimbang said.During the special vaccination days from April 20 to 22 only 9,867 of the 38,297 target residents in Negros Occidental were vaccinated, he added.“We still have a long way to go,” Tumimbang said.There is still vaccine hesitancy among the elderly, which is sometimes supported by their children who argue that they do not go out anyway, Tumimbang said.However, their children should remember that even if they are fully vaccinated they can still be inf...

PNA file photoThe three-day local absentee voting starts on Wednesday, April 27, and will end on Friday April, 29, the Commission on Elections announced.Only uniformed personnel, employees, including those from the Comelec and the Department of Education, and members of the media who applied to vote ahead of the May 9 polls will be allowed to cast their votes.Many of the expected close to 2,000 absentee voters in Negros Occidental will come from the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.PCol. Leo Pamittan, Negros Occidental police director, said about 1,028 police personnel in the province will be casting their votes through absentee voting.But in Bacolod City only two absentee voters are schedule to vote, Bacolod Elections Officer Revo Sorb...

Capitol photoA memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the use of the GeoRisk PH platform in the conduct of hazards and risk assessments in Negros Occidental was signed Tuesday, April 26.The MOA was signed by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for Negros Occidental at rites held at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City and Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. will sign for the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in Manila.GeoRiskPH stands for “Geospatial Information Management and Analysis Project for Hazards and Risk Assessment in the Philippines”.The platform will improve Negros Occidental’s climate and disaster risk assessment capabilities, the MOA said.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said this will give the provincial government access...

Capitol photoLet us make Negros Occidental a flagship province in maintaining integrity through an open government as we move towards a new normal.That was the call of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the 2022 Transparency Roadshow held at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City on Tuesday, April 26.The roadshow, held through the Freedom of Information-Project Management Office of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, aims to increase awareness and engage with the communities and organizations representing the national and local governments, civil society, academe, media and the general public to promote responsible information sharing as one of the transparency initiatives of the government.At this point in our history, alongside the strain caused by the COVID crisis...

The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the ordinance setting the new rates for the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in Murcia town at its regular session Tuesday, April 26.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said the visitors at the resort have been increasing since it reopened on April 20.They started with 100 pre-registered visitors and on Sunday the number peaked at nearly 300, he said.The resort is currently charging its old rates and will implement the new rates 15 days after publication of the approved ordinance, Diaz said.There are currently five flights per airline a day arriving at the Bacolod-Silay Airport, he said.He thinks the airlines will maintain the same number of flights in May because they have already felt the influx of pass...

Mayoral candidate Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez vowed to bring change to Victorias City in Negros Occidental by providing more opportunities and improved services for Victoriahanons.Benitez, who addressed a crowd estimated by the police and more than 8,000 at the Victorias City Public Plaza Tuesday night, April 26, said service for Victorias runs in his blood.Benitez, at his Sidlak sa Malihan grand rally, said he will lead by listing to the needs of the people.Now is the time for change in Victorias, he said.Benitez vowed to bring a dignified human settlement for all, proper zoning through urban planning, measures to mitigate and prevent natural disasters such as flooding, economic opportunities and jobs to fight poverty and hunger, put priority on education and strengthen u...

DSB PNP photoThree people were arrested after they were caught in the act of smoking marijuana at an event calling for its legalization at Barangay Kumaliskis in Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, April 23.Arrested were June Miguel Alingasa, Eddie Cabatas, and Joshua Estrella.Lt. Everly Canto, DSB deputy police chief, said the three were using marijuana right in the middle of the program.A plastic sachet containing dried leaves of suspected marijuana weighing three grams was recovered from them.Canto said the event was held to call for the legalization of the use of marijuana for medical purposes.*