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Image courtesy of SecuRE NegrosA PHP1 million prize pool awaits winning teams of college students in the maiden Negros Occidental Energy Innovation Sprint (NOEIS), a competition challenging participants to develop scalable and sustainable biofuel systems that can power communities, industries, and the province's clean energy future.Beyond the cash prize, winners can secure a one-year purchase order and have the opportunity to become the primary producer and supplier of the proposed biofuel system. They will also be provided with incubation and mentorship opportunities."This is more than just a science or engineering competition. NOEIS encourages multi-disciplinary collaboration because building a viable biofuel ecosystem requires expertise across fields," organizers announced o...

A 28-year-old motorcycle rider died after he lost control of his motorcycle and landed in a sugarcane field in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, early Thursday, May 28.Police identified the victim as  “Mark,” a resident of Brgy. Dos Hermanas.The crash  happened at around 12:05 a.m. along Mabini National Highway in Brgy. Zone 15.Initial investigation by the Talisay City Police Station showed the victim had attended a fiesta in Hacienda Carmen, Brgy. Dos Hermanas, where he reportedly had a drinking session before riding his motorcycle home.Police said the victim sustained fatal chest injuries and other injuries to his body due to the impact.He was rushed by the Talisay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial R...

Cagayan de Oro standout Stephen Clementer won the boys' 7-10 division at the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship, his first Junior PGT title on May 6.*The final two legs of the six-stage Junior PGT Visayas-Mindanao Series are expected to produce the fiercest battles yet across all age-group categories.The Bacolod Golf and Country Club in Murcia will host the first stop on June 3-5, before action shifts to the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City on June 8-10.Aside from individual glory, also at stake are slots in the South team, which will clash with the North side in the Ryder-style grand finals from Aug. 17-20 at the Pueblo de Oro Golf and Country Club in Cagayan de Oro.The Southeners, who lost at The Country Club last year, eye revenge on home turf.V...

Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas (left) and SB Member Kedy Yu led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.*The blessing and inauguration of an additional two-storey building for the Murcia Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office was held Tuesday, May 26.The inauguration was led by Murcia Mayor Gerry Rojas, Vice Mayor Johnny Reosura and the Sangguniang Bayan members, a press release from Murcia said.“We have learned from experience that numerous natural calamities – from typhoons, floods and ash emissions from Kanlaon Volcano – occur in our municipality. Thus, we take very seriously our program for disaster risk reduction and management. This two-storey building is a manifestation of our focus on prioritizing the safety of Murciahanons,” Rojas said.The additional MDRRMO buildi...

Pexels file photoThe Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM)  is aiming to start  cloudseeding operations in Negros Occidental and  Western Visayas  in the first week of July to mitigate  crop damage caused by the lack of rain.The BSWM has already bid out the cloudseeding project and is currently in the process of awarding the contract for the procurement and rental of the aircraft, Department of Agriculture-Negros Island Region (DA-NIR) Director Jose Albert Barrogo said on Wednesday, May 27.The bureau has allocated ₱6 million for the initiative, but could increase the amount if needed, Barrogo said.Barrogo said the cloudseeding team will be stationed in Bacolod City. Crews will be on standby to deploy immediately once suitable cloud formations ...

Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District)*Calling out a "quiet injustice" where citizens are bound by laws they cannot easily access,   Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District)    filed House Bill 9468 on Tuesday, May 26.The measure seeks to establish the "Philippine Open Law System," a free, consolidated, continuously updated, and searchable public platform for the nation's legal issuances, statutes, and jurisprudence.The bill also institutionalizes strict safeguards for AI-assisted legal information services, he said.In a privilege speech in the House on Monday, May 25, Benitez noted that while the text of Philippine statutes is technically public through the Official Gazette and the Supreme Court E-Library, th...

Residents  may face higher electricity bills next month following an announcement from the local distribution utility regarding tightening power supply conditions.Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) issued an advisory on Wednesday, May 27, warning that a limited supply of electricity in certain areas of the country could drive generation costs up in the upcoming billing cycle.The utility acknowledged the financial strain that price hikes place on local communities, stating that it recognizes how any upward adjustment in electricity rates directly impacts both households and businesses.In response to the tightening supply, Negros Power assured the public that it is actively monitoring grid conditions and implementing measures to secure power volumes efficiently. ...

A high-value individual was arrested after police seized P476,000 worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation in Bacolod City early Wednesday, May 27.Police identified the suspect as alias “Josh,” 28, unemployed, and a resident of Brgy. 2, Bacolod City.The operation was conducted by Police Station 8 operatives at around 12:49 a.m. in Purok Burmahiko, Brgy. Tangub.Authorities said the operation stemmed from information from a confidential informant that the suspect was allegedly involved in the sale of illegal drugs in the area and nearby barangays.Police conducted casing and surveillance before carrying out the buy-bust operation.Recovered from the suspect were about 70 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price of P476,000.Authorities also ...

Pixabay file photoDengue cases in Bacolod decreased by 50.8 percent in the first five months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with only 175 cases reported from Jan. 1 to May 16 this year versus 356 cases and two deaths last year, City Health Office (CHO) data showed Wednesday, May 27. The data indicate a sustained downtrend after Bacolod recorded 1,040 cases in 2025, a 60.4 percent drop from 2,624 cases in 2024. Dr. Carr Cedric Ocampo, medical coordinator of the CHO City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said strengthened health education in communities for dengue prevention contributed to the downtrend. "It can also be attributed to the good health-seeking behavior of the people and early detection of cases," he added. Ocampo...

Six persons were injured after a mini canter fell into a ravine near Tan-ao Bridge in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday night, May 26.The vehicular incident happened at around 8:20 p.m. in Brgy. Poblacion 2.Cristobal Corong, a Sagay resident, said they heard a loud crash and immediately rushed to the site.He said the vehicle had already fallen into a dark section of the ravine when they arrived, which is about three meters deep.Residents helped rescue the passengers of the mini canter, including four female minors and two males, one of them the driver.City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Operations and Warning Officer Jorge Cabalag said that the victims were all relatives.The passengers sustained injuries in different parts of their bodies, but...