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Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson  and Bacolod Mayor  Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at the opening of the 17th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival and 2nd Terra Madre Visayas at the North Capitol Road in Bacolod City.*Richard Malihan photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Tuesday, Nov. 19, was optimistic Negros Occidental could win its bid to host the 2027 Organic World Congress.The decision of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) on Negros Occidental’s bid is expected on Dec. 5, he said.“IFOAM Asia Executive Director Jennifer Chang along with Ramon Uy Jr. and Boyet Uychiat have been campaigning for Negros among the voting delegates, and they feel we have a good chance of bagging the right to host the Organic World Congress in 2027”, Lacson said.“We ar...

The National Federation of Sugarcane Planters categorically retracts its statement welcoming the declaration of the Sugar Regulatory Administration and the Department of Agriculture that there will be no importation until the end of harvest next year, NFSP president Enrique D. Rojas said Tuesday, Nov. 19.“Like all sugarcane farmers, we were initially happy that no additional imported sugar will enter the country, but we did not know that SRA had already brought in imported refined sugar,” Rojas said in a press release.Rojas said SRA had not been totally candid in its statement, because it did not mention that it had already brought in 135,833 metric tons imported refined sugar, with the balance of 104,167 mt more possibly coming in, under Sugar Order No. 5 Series of 2023-2024 ...

Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19, that consumers under its franchise area will pay an additional 94 cents or P12.01 per kilowatt hour this November.This is due to the increase in the generation charge of electricity suppliers in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, NEPC said.A household with an average consumption of 200 kwh per month will add P188 to its electricity budget, it said.There is no increase in the distribution charge that remains at P1.18/kwh, which goes to CENECO/Negros Power as the distribution utility, it added.NEPC covers the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay and Bago, the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto.*

Restive Kanlaon Volcano has hurt the livelihood of farmers* Ronnie Baldonado photoCoffee and vegetable farmers in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, have suffered about P194 million in losses from Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption in June and the long El Niño drought, Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilmutan said Tuesday, Nov. 19.The affected farmers are from barangays Masulog, Biak na Bato, Cabagna-an, Mansalanao, Sag-ang, Cabacungan, Maghanoy and Camandag, she said.The municipal government is allocating a 1.7 hectare property for a permanent relocation site for residents who are no longer allowed to live within Kanlaon Volcano’s 4-kilometer permanent danger zone and for the construction of an evacuation center, Mangilimutan said.There are 10 families from the danger zone that are stayin...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is hosting a whole-day Provincial Energy Summit and Local Government Unit Forum at Nature’s Village Resort in Silay City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, Nov. 21.It is being held in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod, Rafael L. Coscolluela, Provincial Consultant on Energy and Environmental Concerns, said in a press release.“The twin events mark a significant milestone as the province officially presents its SecuRE Negros Roadmap (Energy Sector Development Strategy and Action Plan) during a multisectoral session with stakeholders in the morning”, he said.The Roadmap spells out a comprehensive program in line with the goal of securing Reliable, Renewable, Accessible, Affor...

Student Mayor Libby Ponce Tangco speaks at the opening of the 17th  Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival and 2nd Terra Madre Visayas at the Negros Residences in behalf of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (right)* Richard Malihan photoA student leader from St. John’s Institute was elected mayor of Bacolod City for the “Boys and Girls” Week of the city government and Rotary Club of Bacolod this week, Nov. 18 to 22.Libby Ponce Tangco of SJI is the mayor, while STI West Negros University’s Lorein Althea Opelario is the vice mayor.The Rotary Club of Bacolod, in a press release, said it has been conducting the event for 51 years, which aims to provide the youth with effective leadership skills and knowledge on good governance.Also elected city councilors were Christi...

One person died and four others were injured in a vehicular accident involving three motorcycles in Brgy. Caliban, Murcia, Negros Occidental, Monday, Nov. 18.Joemer Bardoquillo, 24, of Purok Palma, Brgy. Kumaliskis, Don Salvador Benedicto, died when he lost control of his motorcycle, the police reported.Bardoquillo tried to overtake a truck, lost control of his vehicle, swerved to the opposite lane and collided with another motorcycle driven by Crise Maquiling, 35, who was also injured along with his passenger Reggie Aloquina, 41.Maquiling and Aloquina are from Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City.The collision also resulted in the bumping of another motorcycle driven by Ronilo Modanza, 60, with his wife Yolanda, 59, on board. They are residents of Brgy. Abo-abo, Murcia.Th...

The Himamaylan 7 after their release from jail Tuesday.*A pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and his six co-accused were freed on Tuesday, Nov. 19, after nearly six years in jail.Released from the Negros Occidental District Jail in Bago City were UCCP Pastor Jimie Teves, Jodito Montesino, Jeppy Romano, Jasper Aguyong, Rogelio Sabanal, Eliseo Andres, and Rodrigo Medes.Susan Medes was freed on Monday.They were freed after Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Rodney Magbanua acquitted them of two counts of murder and seven counts of frustrated murder on Monday.They were accused of being members of the Communist Party- New People’s Army responsible for the death of two Army soldiers – PFC Vicente Marcon and Sgt. Sandy Arevalo of the 62nd Infan...

Some of the rice combine harvesters distributed by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization to various beneficiaries in Negros Occidental,* PNA  Nanette L. Guadalquiver photoA total of 205 farmers’ cooperatives and associations (FCAs) and local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental received P692.7 million in various rice machinery and equipment in six years under the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.Part of the grant, amounting to P217.076 million in machinery and equipment, was distributed to 50 beneficiaries by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (DA-PhilMech) in a ceremony held at the Provincial Capitol grounds on Tuesday, Nov. 19. ...

A senior citizen was found dead with gunshot wounds in Sitio Lagundi, Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, 8 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19.Carlos Capitle, 61, of Sitio Camunsil also in Camindangan was found dead by his stepson.The victim was brought to the Sipalay City Health Unit but was declared dead on arrival.The victim will undergo post-mortem examination.*