Top Stories

Richard Malihan photoNegros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the ceremonial bamboo planting activity at the Malogo Watershed in Victorias City, Wednesday morning, June 23, as part of the province’s commitment to further increase access to resilient water supply, improve water resource management, and strengthen water sector governance in the province.It is a collaborative project of the Provincial Environment Management Office and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Safe Water Project, related to the Provincial Integrated Water Security Program, a press release from the Capitol said.The activity, which is also in connection with the Provincial Environment Month celebration, aims to raise the awareness of stakeholders and local communities in wo...

City PIO photoBacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran led the city government’s distribution of financial assistance worth P146,000 to the fire victims of Zone 2, Purok Riverside, Barangay Bata, Wednesday, June June 23.A total of 17 houses were razed by fire in Barangay Bata last Friday, June 18, affecting 19 families.Families of 11 destroyed houses received P10,000 each, families of six damaged houses got P5,000 each, while two families sharing in these houses received P3,000 each, a press release from the Bacolod City government said.The affected families are temporarily staying at the evacuation area in the Barangay Bata gym.The Department of Social Services and Development and the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office also provided food p...

The six policemen involved in the December 2017 checkpoint in Moises Padilla that resulted in the arrest of then town vice mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo and her husband, Felix Yulo III, for alleged possession of firearms, drugs, and explosives have been dismissed from service by the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM).The 13-page order, which was signed on Oct. 21, 2020 by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who is also the NAPOLCOM chairman, found Police Capt. Allan Reloj, town police chief at that time, MSgt Ricardo Dingcong Jr., Corporal Nobel Perante, Corporal Felix Pesales Jr., Patrolman Michael Mondido, and Patrolman Darryl Dormido "culpable for grave misconduct and grave irregularities in the performance of duty."The policemen were meted the maximum penalty of dismissal from service,...

Bacolod PIO photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, June 22, that Western Visayas officials are clamoring for more vaccines and permission to open up the mass vaccination against COVID-19 to more sectors.“We requested if they will already allow us to vaccinate more, just like NCR (National Capital Region) Plus. We questioned why they have a different policy for NCR Plus, we are all Filipinos,” the governor said.The target is to inoculate 70 percent of the population so if more sectors are opened up, the faster that target can be reached, Lacson said.Only A1 to A3 priority groups, which include healthcare workers, senior citizens and people with comorbidities, are allowed to be vaccinated in Western Visayas.At NCR Plus vaccination of economic frontl...

The Bago City Hall and Sipalay City Sangguniang Panlungsod in Negros Occidental have been closed for disinfection after 14 employees tested positive for COVID-19.The Bantayan Park in Bago City and Campomanes Bay in Sipalay City will also be closed from Wednesday to Friday, June 23 to 25, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Feast of St. John the Baptist.Ten employees of the Bago City Hall and four from the Sipalay SP have tested positive for COVID-19.The Bago City Hall will be closed from Wednesday to Friday, June 23-25, to give way to intensive contract tracing of affected employees and general disinfection, Bago Mayor Nicholas Yulo said Tuesday, June 22.All employees were ordered to adopt a work-from-home arrangement.The Bago employees who tested positive for ...

79th IB photoAn alleged member of the Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) of the New People’s Army was killed by 79th Infantry 'Masaligan' Battalion soldiers in an encounter at Sitio Icugan, Brgy Minapasuk, Calatrava in Negros Occidental ,Tuesday, June 22.The soldiers were conducting security operations in Brgy Minapasuk after receiving reports from concerned civilians about the presence of Communist Terrorist Groups who were conducting extortion activities in the area when an undetermined number of CTG members fired on them prompting the troops to return fire, 1Lt Dansan Camua, 79th IB Civil-Military Operations Officer, said.The firefight lasted for about five minutes forcing the enemy to escape in different directions leaving their dead comrade behind, he said.Seized from encou...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has set the rollout policy for the 11,700 doses of Pfizer-Biotech vaccines to be administered from June 28 to July 2 in Negros Occidental.Lacson, in a memorandum to the mayors of Negros Occidental Tuesday, June 22, said only A1 to A3 vaccinees (healthcare workers, senior citizens and people with comorbidities) will be targeted for Pfizer vaccination.The vaccination sites will be at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City and the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, he said.The local government units (LGUs) must submit their master list of vaccinees before 5 p.m. of June 24 and should be responsible for the transport of their constituents to the vaccination sites during their assigned schedule, the governor said.During their assigne...

The Negros Occidental Provincial Environment Management Office has a new head.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lascon said Tuesday, June 22, that Dr. Rebecca Parcon has been designated officer-in-charge of the PEMO.This was after former judge Danilo Amisonla retired as PEMO chief.The governor said a new head of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist has yet to be named.Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino is retiring July 1 after 39 years in government service.*

Sixteen out of 17 barangays in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, are now drug-free.During the 28th Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs - Western Visayas deliberation Tuesday, June 22, Barangay San Jose, was declared drug-free, the the Sipalay City government announced on its Facebook page.This was accomplished through the active implementation of the Community Based Rehabilitation Program (CBRP), the collective efforts of the Negros Occidental and Sipalay governments, and the barangay council in partnership with the various program partners, it said.The Sipalay City government continues to actively support programs against dangerous drugs in order to help one remaining barangay to be declared as drug-free, it added *