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The bottle attached to a cable that hit a high-voltage power line.*Negros Power photoA Bacolod City resident suffered serious burns after accidentally coming in contact with a high-voltage power line while attempting to install an internet cable at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 14.The incident, serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers of working near electrical lines without proper training and safety precautions, a press release from the Negros Electric and Power Corp. said.A male resident, whose name was withheld, of Purok Baybay, Barangay 35, was attempting to install a WiFi cable for a computer shop at Rodriguez Avenue, the press release said.While attempting to cross the street with the cable, he used a plastic bottle as a weight to guide the cable across.The bo...

PStaff Sgt Alvin Uy*The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) commended a police officer who was wounded while apprehending an armed suspect in Brgy. Gargato, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, May 13.PStaff Sgt Alvin Uy of the Hinigaran Police Station was wounded while pacifying alias “Juan”, 27, who was armed with a bladed weapon and acting violent.Concerned citizens had reported that there was a man roaming around the neighborhood carrying a bladed weapon.When the police arrived, the suspect acted violently and attacked Uy after the police officer confronted him.The suspect was pacified while Uy sustained minor wounds.The police recovered two bladed weapons from the suspect, who is now detained at the Hinigaran Police Station.Uy was tre...

The fun run at the at The Upper East*Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) kicked off its 3rd University Foundation Week on Tuesday, May 13, with activities anchored on its Sustainable Development Goals.Participants from the CHMSU Alijis and Fortune Towne campuses in Bacolod joined a fun run and raced to the finish line at Megaworld’s The Upper East, a press release from CHMSU said.The Binalbagan and Talisay campuses also held their versions of the fun run in their areas participated in by students, employees, and alumni.CHMSU also highlighted its various projects, programs, and initiatives led by students, faculty, and staff that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its SDG Expo Village.The SDG Expo Village is organized by th...

Ash over Brgy Araal in La Carlota City on Tuesday*Romeo Subaldo photoThree airlines cancelled flights in and out of Negros Occidental and Iloilo following the eruption of Kanloan Volcano that left ash in their airspace on Tuesday, May 13.Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia said they cancelled flights as a precautionary measure.Commission on Elections officials said they were thankful that the eruption occurred after the May 12 polls ended.Bacolod City and 10 other towns and cities in Negros Occidental experienced ashfall and sulfur smell after the explosive eruption at 2:55 a.m. Tuesday.The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - Emergency Operations Center monitored ashfall or sulfur smell in the cities of La Carlota, Bago and San C...

Nicholas Yulo, Paula Alonso, Pal Guanzon, Jose Benito Alonso, Eugenio Jose Lacson, Jeffrey Ferrer, Javier Miguel Benitez, Andrew Montelibano and Bambi Depasucat (l-r) were proclaimed winners on Tuesday.* Ronnie Baldonado photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, vice governor-elect Jose Benito Alonso and the winning representatives and board members of Negros Occidental were proclaimed winners at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Tuesday afternoon, May 13.The winning representatives proclaimed on Tuesday were Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez for the 3rd District, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer – 4th District, Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo III – 5th District, and Rep. Mercedes Alvarez – 6th District.Javier Miguel BenitezJeffrey FerrerRep. Emilio "Dino" ...

Ther City Board of Canvassers and the Bacolod winners after their proclation early Tuesday morning.*Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez who won as congressman and Rep. Greg Gasataya as mayor on Tuesday, May 13, vowed to continue to bring more meaningful reforms to Bacolod.The City Board of Canvassers officially proclaimed the winners of the May 12 polls at the Bacolod City Government Center close to 4 a.m. on Tuesday.Benitez won with 164,145 votes giving him a lead of 44,714 votes over his opponent former Bacolod mayor Evelio Leonardia who garnered 119,431 votes.Gasataya won with 157,150 votes while his opponent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran had 143,307 votes.Councilor Kalaw Puentevella of Team Asenso also won as vice mayor with 146,639 votes, to defeat Councilor Renecito No...

Mayor-elect Mayette Javellana (right) being proclaimed winner*Thirteen of the 31 just elected Negros Occidental mayors are new.Among the new mayors are Councilor Mayette Javellana who defeated Vice Mayor Ramon Torres in Bago City, while Jose Luis Jalandoni won against incumbent Mayor Rex Jalandoon of La Carlota City.In Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol was defeated by former mayor Manuel Aranda.The other new mayors are former mayor Richard Jaojoco in Toboso, Nehemiah de la Cruz - Don Salvador Benedicto, Mikaela Escalante - Manapla, Abelardo Bantug III - Victorias City, Maria Rowena Lizares - Talisay City, Matthew Malacon - EB Magalona, Ricardo Presbitero - Valladolid, Mary Grace Arceo - Hinigaran, Miguel Yulo - Isabela, and Añejo Nicor - La Castellana.The following is...

Rep. Emilio Yulo was reelected and his son Miguel Yulo won as mayor of Isabela.*Ronnie Baldonado photoIt is all in the family for the winning mayors and vice mayors of 10 towns and cities in Negros Occidental.In Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante and his nephew Vincent Escalante who ran as vice mayor won unopposed.It’s a son and father tandem in EB Magalona with Matthew Malacon winning as mayor and his father Mayor Marvin Malacon as vice mayor.In Pulupandan Miguel Peña was reelected mayor and his cousin Anthony Gerard Suatengco won as vice mayor.Vice Mayor Mary Grace Arceo won as mayor of Hinigaran and her husband Mayor Nadie Arceo as vice mayor.In La Castellana Councilor Añejo Nicor won as mayor and his sister Mayor Rhummyla Mangilimutan as vice mayor.It is ...

The crime scene in Silay City. *The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Silay” which aims to streamline investigative efforts on the shooting incident that left two Silaynons dead and seven injured in Brgy. Mambulac, Silay City, on Monday, May 12.The creation of the SITG Silay aims to monitor the progress of the investigation and oversee the process of gathering witnesses’ affidavits and statements, NOCPPO said.“The task group acts as the heart of the investigation as to coordinating and analyzing all aspects of the investigation”, NOCPPO said.The police also considered the surrender of Brgy. Lantad Chairperson Arnie Benedicto an “early victory”, while they continue to search for other accomplices.Col. Rainer...

Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative announced on Tuesday, May 13, that its electricity rates will drop by P3.58 per kilowatt-hour in May.NOCECO said its electricity rate for May is P12.0262/kWh, which is P3.5842/kWh lower compared to April which was at P15.6104/kWh.The primary driver of the decrease is the lower Generation Charge, from P8.6067/kWh in April to P6.2267/kWh in May or a reduction of P2.38/kWh.“This favorable change is primarily attributed to a significant reduction in the cost of power sourced from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), which decreased by P3.8265/kWh, from P10.5620/kWh to P6.7355/kWh in May”, it said.NOCECO also said that this decrease in rates reflects the fluctuations in the cost of power generation and transmission, and we will con...