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Election Officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña* The   Elections Registration Board of the Commission on Elections  has disapproved 10 voter applicants  in Bacolod City, Election Officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña said on Tuesday, April 23. Their applications were  disapproved  because they have existing registration  records in other places, she said. They disapproved six applications last week and four on Monday, she said. “We gave them a chance to correct their applications and some did not show up that is why we disapproved their registration,” she said. Trinio-Caña also said that the  ERB hearings are still ongoing as they are still waiting for the verification of some applications from the Comelec central office. After the hearings, they wil...

The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative has announced a P2.57 per kilowatt-hour increase in its  electricity rates this month. NONECO said its  electricity rate for April is P14.5674/kWh, P2.5709 higher than last month’s P11.9965/kWh. It attributed the increase to  the spike of electricity prices in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market that is at P8.1846/kWh, P2.4557 higher than the P5.7289/kWh in March. Their records also showed that the rates on their systems loss increased by P0.2811 while their transmission charges decreased by P0.2146/kWh. Last week, Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) also  announced a P1.7287 per kilowatt-hour increase in its power rates this month, while the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative’s (NOCECO) is P3.4742...

Hawaiian-Philippine Company (HPCo)* Newly rebranded planters group “The Sugar Association Inc.”, formerly the Vicmico Planters Association, has secured acceptance as one of the accredited partner associations of  Hawaiian-Philippine Company (HPCo) in Silay City.  “We are honored to be formally recognized as one of the partner associations of HPCo. The Hawaiian sugar mill is known for integrity and transparency in its operations, and fair treatment of its partner planters. We look forward to a cordial and mutually beneficial working relationship with HPCo in the years to come,”  Aurelio Gerardo “Bodie” J. Valderrama Jr., president of The Sugar Association, said in a press release Tuesday, April 23.  “We express our gratitude and appreciation to HPCo and to the ...

An 80-year-old man was found dead with multiple hack wounds in Purok 1, Sitio Malusay, Brgy. Caradio-an, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, 8:45 a.m. on Monday, April 22.  The 80-year-old man, whose name was withheld by the police, was found dead beside a fishpond. The victim sustained multiple hack wounds on his neck and other parts of his body, the police said.  He was brought by the Himamaylan Rescue Unit to the Gov. Valeriano Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital where he was declared dead.* 

The Power Watch secretary-general is urging the Senate to expedite the approval of the Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC) franchise to level up the operations of Central Negros Electric Cooperative. Wennie Sancho, in a statement  Tuesday, April 23,   said that  granting of the NEPC franchise will be a morale-booster for consumers who can no longer bear the suffering brought about by power outages. “Our distribution lines that move electricity over long distances are built on transmission equipment that average 20 to 30 years old or more, and much of which have passed their usefulness and reliability”, Sancho said. Brownouts not only give rise to irritation but also serve as a disincentive to investments and thereby are  obstacles to employment g...

Former Victorias City mayor Francis Fredrick “Wantan” Palanca, left, take his oath as PDP member.*PDP Facebook page photo Partido Demokratiko Pilipino chaired by former president Rodrigo Duterte is conducting consultations for the possible fielding of PDP candidates in Negros Occidental, including a gubernatorial bet, in the 2025 polls. “We are still on the consultation stage,” lawyer Jesus Villanueva Hinlo, PDP deputy secretary general for Visayas and Negros Occidental Council president, said on Monday, April 22. He said they are studying whether to align with Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson or field their own gubernatorial bet if there is a clamor for change. They have received reports of some who are dissatisfied with Lacson, he said. If the people want an alt...

The  Panaad sa Negos Festival participants.*Ronnie Baldonado photo Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Monday, April 22, attributed the drop in the Panaad sa Negros Festival sales by 18.6 percent this year to the decline in the purchasing power of the middle class.  The total sales during the festival from April 15 to 21 was P19,250,439 compared to P23,663,642 last year, or a drop  by P4,413,203. Lacson said he was informed by Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president, that the purchasing power of Negrenses, especially among the middle class, has gone down.  People were at the festival but they were not buying as much compared to last year, he said.  There were also a lot of young people and you can no expect t...

The Negros Occidental provincial government will not declare a state of calamity to purchase an airplane for cloud seeding, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, April 22.  Manuel Lamata, United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) president, on Friday appealed to the Negros Occidental government officials led by Lacson to declare a state of calamity so the province can buy an airplane for cloud seeding to induce rain amid the worsening drought brought on by the El Niño phenomenon.  Lacson said the problem is not the lack of an airplane, it is the experts who are saying we cannot conduct cloud seeding for lack of seedable clouds.  “We can always rent a plane to do that (cloud seeding) like we have done before,” he said.  Lacson said buying an airplane...

Three more persons were arrested by the police for alleged vandalism in Purok Kabulakan 2, Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, at 12:35 a.m.  Monday, April 22.  Arrested were Glemar Gabuya, 35, Roger Delfin, 38, and Roy Cabison, 40, the police  said.  They were arrested by the Task Force Vandalism of Bacolod City Police Station 8 while they were patrolling in the area.  Recovered from the suspects were three canisters of spray paint.  The suspects were cited for n violation of City Ordinance 534 or the Anti-Vandalism Ordinance of Bacolod City and Malicious Mischief.  Last week, Jean Clifford Rabinowitz, an American citizen, was also arrested by the police for vandalism along Burgos Street in Bacolod.* 

The deactivation ceremony at the Panaad Stadium on Monday* The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) reported zero major crime incidents during the Panaad sa Negros Festival  at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City, that ended  Sunday, April 21.  This was announced during the final critique and deactivation ceremony at the Panaad Stadium on Monday, April 22, a NOCPPO  report said.  The critique was conducted  by the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division, NOCPPO Red Team, and the Provincial Tourism Office.  The deactivation ceremony  of the Panaad sa Negros security forces on Monday was attended by NOCPPO Director Col. Rainerio De Chavez, Provincial Fire Marshall FSSupt. Arnold Alba, Philippine...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at the launching of the “Bayad Agad” program on Monday.* Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Monday, April 22, launched the city government’s “Bayad Agad” program to ensure the immediate release of assistance to Bacolod residents at rites at the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday, April 22.  The Bayad Agad Program covers the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS).   The goal is to ensure the immediate  release of    medical, burial and  disaster financial assistance to Bacolod residents within the day of the request as long as the documents are  complete, Benitez said..  The first recipients were the fire victims Barangay 18, Bacolod.* 

The slain resort employee in Purok Dug-anon, Brgy. Oringao, Kabankalan City.*NOCPPO photo A resort employee was shot to death in Purok Dug-anon, Brgy. Oringao, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, April 21.  Myrna Belando, 43, caretaker of Mag-aso Resort, was shot multiple times by an unidentified man at about 5:30 a.m., Sunday, the police reported.  The victim was driving her motorcycle to her workplace when an unidentified suspect shot her multiple times on the head and body, the police said.  Recovered from the crime scene were four fired cartridges and one   9mm cartridge.   Prior to the incident the victim had received death threats and the motive for the killing could be a personal grudge, the police said.*

Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela said he fully supports the   Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.’s   (NOCCI) defense of the Negros Island Region (NIR) following opposition aired by the Diocese of Dumaguete.  “I also hope that the apprehensions and misgivings aired by the Diocese of Dumaguete are laid to rest via dialog among all concerned parties,” said Coscolluela on Sunday, April 21.  The bill seeking the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor is awaiting the signature of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to become a law.  Marcos, while in Bacolod City on April 8, said he would sign the bill into law.  Coscolluela reiterated that the new region should be c...

The seized drugs in Barangay 28.* Two suspects, including an alleged member of the Caunda Drug Group, were arrested and P904,400 worth of suspected shabu  was seized in separate operations  in  Bacolod City on Saturday and Sunday,  April 20 and 21, the police said.  Raffy Cawaling, 47, an alleged member of the notorious Caunda Drug Group was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Purok Kawayan, Brgy. 28,  Saturday, the police reported.  The police said that he was previously convicted for engaging  in the illegal drugs sale  The police  seized seven sachets of suspected shabu weighing three grams with an estimated street price of P20,400 from him.  Meanwhile, Renelyn Rusiana, a high-value drug target, was also arrested in an operation in Purol San...