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The presentation of the filmmakers at a press conference led by Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya Monday morning* Ronnie Baldonado photoNine filmmakers who will compete in the third Bacolod Film Festival were formally presented during a press conference at the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday, Sept. 7.The festival will run from Nov. 27 to 29 under the theme “Pag-angot: Celebrating Heritage, Shaping the Future,” with this year’s edition focusing on rediscovering and preserving Bacolod’s heritage amid the city’s rapid development.Bacolod Film Festival Director Tanya Lopez said the theme was developed alongside growing national and local efforts on cultural mapping and heritage documentation.“It is high time that we rediscover what Bacolod is and what our heritage is,” Lop...

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Sunday confirmed a leadership change at the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), effective Monday, September 7.According to a special order issued by Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief of Directorial Staff PLt. Gen. Neri Vincent Ignacio, PBGen. Rudecindo Licup Reales has been appointed as the new PRO-NIR director.Reales, 53, a graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy Class of 1996, previously served as the Chief of the PNP Supervisory Office for Security and Investigation Agencies  under the Civil Security Group, as well as chief of the Regional Comptroller Division for PRO 3 (Central Luzon).He replaces PBGen. Romano Cardiño, who has been reassigned to head PRO 8 in Eastern Visayas.*

Biocontrol materials produced by the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental (PGNO) have yielded positive results against the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) in treated local sugarcane fields.Field observations and initial laboratory testing confirmed the active presence and efficacy of the province-produced biological controls two months after the creation of the PGNO Task Force Kontra RSSI, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando P. Diaz II  said in a Facebook post Saturday, Sept. 5.Field samples collected from sugarcane farms in Caliban, Murcia, revealed RSSI cadavers infected by Entomopathogenic Fungi, featuring visible fungal spores growing on the dead insects, he said.The field applications began August 14. Three weeks post-application, the beneficial fungi demons...

A 74-year-old farmer died while his two passengers were injured after their multicab collided head-on with a truck in Toboso, Negros Occidental on Friday, Sept. 4.The Toboso Municipal Police Station identified the fatality only as alias “John,” a resident of Brgy. Minapasok, Calatrava.His passengers, alias “Freddy,” 34, and alias “Romy,” 37, both from Calatrava, sustained injuries.Police said the group was aboard a green Rusco multicab traveling from Sagay City toward Minapasok when the vehicle reportedly swerved into the opposite lane in Sitio Talawi, Brgy. Bug-ang.One of the passengers told investigators that the driver had allegedly fallen asleep before the vehicle crossed into the opposite lane.A Mitsubishi Fuso truck van driven by alias “Chris,” 39, of Sagay City, ...

New leadership has taken over Bacolod City Police Stations 2 and 8 following a turnover ceremony at the Bacolod City Police Office on Saturday, Sept. 5.The ceremony was held at around 11:30 a.m. at the BCPO Conference Room.Maj. Rondyl Tapang formally assumed as station commander of Police Station 2, while Leonardo Ildefonso was designated officer-in-charge of Police Station 8.Lt. Connan Gadayan turned over his duties as part of the leadership transition.Lt. Col. Lester Leada, deputy city director for operations, thanked the outgoing officers for their service and urged the incoming leadership to build on the accomplishments of their predecessors.Leada, speaking on behalf of BCPO City Director Col. Eugene Rebadomia, said the change in assignments should be viewed as anot...

About P67,000 worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes were voluntarily surrendered to  the police during a checkpoint in Brgy. Granada, Bacolod City, on Friday night, Sept. 4.The Bacolod City Police Office  reported that  personnel of Police Station 5 were conducting a checkpoint at Crossing Carmen at around 8:45 p.m. when two men, aged 26 and 23, approached officers and turned over three boxes of cigarettes.Police said the surrendered items consisted of 100 packs of Forth cigarettes and 34 packs of Canon cigarettes.The two men, both residents of Brgy. Mandalagan, told police that they had allegedly been hired by another man to deliver the boxes to Brgy. Alangilan for P5,000.They reportedly arrived in Alangilan proper at around 6 p.m. and waited for more than ...