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Manapla PDAO President Charito Diaroz Pelita, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon (center) and Mayor Manuel Escalante cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the new Comelec building, as Manapla Election Officer Cindy Ballesteros and councilors Richard Legada and Elizabeth Andrino (l-r, back row) look on.*Commissioner Rowena Guanzon of the Commission on Elections called on the police, Army and politicians to keep the May 2022 polls in Negros Occidental free from violence.This will enable the people the freedom to vote for the candidates of their choice, Guanzon said in her speech at the inauguration of the Comelec building at Duyungan Street in Manapla, Negros Occidental, Thursday, July 8.The Manapla Election Officer is Cindy Ballesteros.Guanzon thanked Rep. Shernee Tan (Kus...

As journalists mourn the passing of newsman Jose Jaime “Nonoy” Espina, his family informed the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Thursday, July 8, that they wish to channel all donations for his funeral to a health and welfare fund for media workers.Espina, a former NUJP chairperson, died of liver cancer at his home in Bacolod City on Wednesday, July 7. He was 59."We know so many colleagues live under precarious economic conditions, with no tenure and often, with little social benefits," his sister, Inday Espina-Varona, said in a Facebook post.Fifteen percent of the more than 200 journalists polled nationwide receive a measly salary of P5,000 and below per month, while 19 percent have a monthly salary ranging from P5,000-P10,000, a March 2021 survey con...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the new La Castellana market.*Ronnie Baldonado photoA new P60 million public market, the Mandayao Legacy Park and a tourism comfort room were inaugurated in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Thursday, July 8.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan led the inauguration rites, a press release from the Capitol said.Mangilimutan thanked the governor for the provincial government’s support to the development projects of her town.Lacson, in turn, advised the local government and people of La Castellana to maintain the cleanliness and safety of the public market, which is the center of economy of every local government unit.He s...

PRO-6 photosA former inmate of the New Bilibid Prison and a high-value drug suspect were arrested in a buy-bust operation at San Julio Subdivision, Brgy. 2, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, July 6.Nabbed by Regional Police Drug Enforcement Unit 6, San Carlos City Police Station, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Anti-Illegal Drugs Team operatives were Rolito “Nonoy Suwang” Chiu, 22, of Brgy. 6, and Delfin Luague, 35, of Brgy. 5, all in the locality.Police Lt. Victor Anjoe Villarosa, RPDEU-6 operating team leader, identified Chiu as a high-value individual while Luage was imprisoned in the New Bilibid Prison for 10 years for illegal drugs.He said that Chiu, who was the subject of the operation, sold a plastic sachet containing shabu worth P...

303rd IB photoThe Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People's Army Central Negros Guerrilla Front (LPC-NPA) expressed its outrage over the alleged killing of a farmer by state troopers in a "fake encounter" at Barangay Luz, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, on July 4.The rebels denied the allegations of the Army that the victim, Randy Tapales, was an NPA member.They stressed in a statement that Tapales, a resident of the barangay, was walking alone on his way home when he was reportedly ambushed by the military."It is not true that there was an encounter between the NPA and military troops around this time and, also, Tapales was not an NPA fighter," Ka JB Regalado, LPC-NPA spokesperson, said.He added that Tapales, prior to his death, had received death threats.Th...

Only 5.07 percent of Negros Occidental’s targeted population has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and it may take some time before economic frontliners, under the A4 priority group, can be covered, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, July 7.A big portion of those under the A1 to A3 categories (health care workers, senior citizens and persons with comorbidities) have not been vaccinated so it would be hard to justify moving on to A4, he said.Perhaps when they hit 70 percent of those belonging to the A1 to A3 categories, they can justify moving on to A4, he said.The provincial government has so far vaccinated 92,632 Negrenses with their first doses or 5.07 percent of the target population, and 19,937 with second doses or 1.09 percent, Diaz said.Their targe...

Negros Occidental had 15 new COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, July 7, for a total of 479 fatalities since March last year, the Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) reported Wednesday, July 7.The province also had 1,838 active COVID-19 cases and 212 recoveries on Wednesday, the PIMT added.The province has had 19,649 COVID-19 cases since March last year and 17,332 recoveries.Bacolod City had 98 new COVID-19 cases, 165 recoveries and no new deaths, the Department of Health reported Wednesday.Bacolod has had a total of 13,672 COVID-19 cases, 11,808 recoveries and 319 deaths, the DOH added.*

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in Boracay Wednesday, July 7.*The mass vaccination of tourism workers in Boracay Island began Wednesday, July 7.Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who led the ceremonial vaccination rites, told DIGICAST NEGROS she has not received requests from Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the coverage of tourism workers in their areas yet.When asked if Negros Occidental would be included in the vaccination rollout for tourism workers, Puyat said she had not received a request but would ask the governor.Puyat said that the inoculation program in Boracay targets an initial 3,000 tourism workers. To reach the target beneficiaries, 500 workers are expected to be inoculated daily.National ...