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Reported crime incidents across the Negros Island Region dropped by 21.02 percent in August compared with the same month last year,  data released by the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region on Friday,  Sept. 4, showed.PRO-NIR recorded 695 total crime incidents in August 2026, down by 185 cases from 880 incidents in August 2025.The regional police also reported a 2.75 percent decrease in its Peace and Order Indicator, from 582 cases to 566.Index crimes declined by 10.53 percent, from 95 to 85 cases, while non-index crimes slightly decreased by 1.23 percent, from 487 to 481 cases.The eight focus crimes likewise decreased by 10.53 percent during the comparative period, PRO-NIR said.The largest decline was recorded under the Public Safety Indicator, which ...

Two persons classified by police as high-value drug suspects were arrested while about P680,000 worth of suspected shabu was seized in a buy-bust operation in Bacolod City early Friday, Sept. 4.The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region identified the suspects only as alias “Sha,” 31, and alias “Wil,” 22,  of Brgy. Banago.Police Station 1 conducted the operation at around 12:35 a.m. in Purok Malinong, Brgy. 39.Police said intelligence information indicated that the suspects allegedly distributed illegal drugs in Brgys. 2, 3, 8, 10 and 39, as well as Banago and Singcang-Airport.The suspects allegedly used a “kaliwaan” scheme, where drugs and payment were exchanged simultaneously, with some transactions reportedly facilitated through GCash, police said.Authoriti...

Bacolod City fire marshal Supt. Jenny Mae Masip and emergency responders of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod receive the four brand-new rescue boats from the city government in a video released on Friday.*BFP-Bacolod photoEmergency responders of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod City got an equipment boost, with the turnover of four rescue boats from the city government.The procurement of the rescue boats, each having a capacity of six to eight passengers, was funded through the 20 percent local government unit (LGU) share from the Fire Code fees collected in this highly urbanized city.City fire marshal Supt. Jenny Mae Masip said in a video released on Friday that the arrival of the rescue boats is very timely in their response to the challenges brought by the...

Haze over La Catellana Thursday*Vice Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan photoThe Environmental Management Bureau Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR) warned that the air quality in Bacolod City and La Castellana, Negros Occidental, was classified as "unhealthy for sensitive groups" at noon Thursday, Sept. 3.Due to poor air quality, the bureau advised individuals with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, to limit outdoor exertion.Air quality levels in La Carlota City and Canlaon City were reported as fair during the same period.The noon advisory reflected a slight improvement from 8 a.m. readings, which recorded "very unhealthy" conditions in Bacolod City, "acutely unhealthy" levels in La Castellana, and "unhealthy for sensitive groups" in La Carlota City.Canlaon City remained fa...

Dengue has claimed the lives of two more young children in Bacolod City.Both fatalities were pediatric patients from barangays Granada and Mansilingan admitted at the  Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) in mid-August, the City Health Office reported Thursday,  September 3.A 5-year-old girl residing in Barangay Granada died on August 19, after initially suffering from fever. Her admission diagnosis of dengue fever with warning signs worsened, leading to severe dengue complicated by pulmonary hemorrhage and acute respiratory failure. A 4-year-old girl from Barangay Mansilingan was admitted to the hospital on August 20 suffering from severe body weakness. Diagnosed with severe dengue, she died the following afternoon, August 21, due to Mu...

The Bacolod City government has issued show-cause orders to former Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) chief Maria Fe Tresfuentes and a regular BENRO employee over separate allegations of conflict of interest and fixing.City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu confirmed Tuesday that the order was served to Tresfuentes following a preliminary fact-finding investigation by his office.The investigation cited an alleged conflict of interest involving city contracts with IPM-CDC—the city's former waste management provider—for garbage collection, hauling, and sanitary landfill operations, noting that Tresfuentes' son was allegedly employed by the company.In a separate case, a regular male BENRO staff member was served a show-cause order following a fixing complaint f...