Top Stories

The cordoned off Education Building at the West Visayas State University – Himamaylan City Campus.*Raymund Tongson Facebook page photoThe Education Building at the West Visayas State University – Himamaylan City Campus has been ordered vacated due to structural issues and serious safety concerns, Mayor Raymund Tongson said on Saturday, May 10.Based on the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA), the building has been deemed “unfit for its intended use and posing a serious impact on the delivery of professional and technical instruction”, Tongson said in a post on his Facebook page.The restriction on using the facility has significantly affected the operations of the campus, as it has resulted in a shortage of space for academic and administrative functions, he said.“We fu...

A farmer was shot dead by an unidentified suspect in Sitio Tinugpahan, Brgy. Minapasok, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, on Friday, May 9.The victim identified by the police only as a 29-year-old farmer of Sitio Harvey, Brgy Minapasok, was found dead with his P30,000 reported missing.A witness said he was harvesting marang fruit nearby when he heard gunshots and another resident saw the victim lying on the ground with gunshot wounds.The victim’s bag, which contained about P30,000 was reported missing, the police said.He was brought to the Calatrava District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.*

Election Task Force of the Schools Division Office of Negros Occidental.*The Schools Division Office of Negros Occidental has activated its Election Task Force (ETF) for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 11, until 5 p.m. Tuesday.The ETF serves as the Department of Education’s official mechanism for monitoring the election situation in schools designated as polling centers, the DepEd said.It is tasked with promptly addressing election-related concerns involving DepEd personnel rendering service during the NLE, it added.Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Enjenette D. Baroa heads the Negros Occidental Division’s ETF as chairperson, with ASDS Julito Felicano as co-chairperson.Members of the task force include lawyers Jasper T...

Fuel prices are expected to drop on Tuesday, May 13.Diesel prices should go down by P0.80 to P1 per liter, Unioil Pertoleum Philippines said Saturday.Gasoline prices should also go down by P0.20 to P0.40 per liter, it added.*

Ana Marie Aguilar will lead the strong Bacolod contingent in the second leg of the ICTSI Junior Philippine Golf Tour Visayas-Mindanao Series at Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club in Bacolod City on May 14 to 16.*Visayan hopefuls, led by Bacolod’s rising stars, are out to defend their home turf in the second leg of the ICTSI Junior PGT Visayas-Mindanao Series on May 14 to 16.Capitalizing on their familiarity with the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club layout in Bacolod City and home crowd support, local bets Ana Marie Aguilar, Cecilia Jalandoni and Anezka Golez will challenge Mactan leg winner Denise Mendoza in the girls’ 7-10 category.In the girls' 11-14 class, Gabriela Regino and Chelsea Ogborne will try to stop Brittany Tamayo from securing a second straight title. ...

The Regional Election Monitoring Action Center meeting on Friday*Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and Army officials convened the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) of the Negros Island Region at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on Friday, May 9, to finalize security arrangements for Election Day on Monday.The meeting's focused on the strategic deployment of security personnel across the NIR to ensure a safe and orderly electoral process, a Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) statement said.The officials also addressed the strict implementation of the liquor ban that takes effect on Sunday and Monday, which is a critical measure aimed at preventing possible disturbances and promoting a peaceful environment for ...

Pope Leo XIV at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday.* Vatican news photoSan Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said Caritas Philippines welcomes with great joy the election of Pope Leo XIV whose moral courage and deep concern for the most vulnerable offers renewed hope in this critical moment for humanity and the planet.Caritas Philippines is the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.Alminaza, Caritas Philippines vice president, said as the climate emergency intensifies — displacing families, destroying livelihoods, and threatening future generations — Pope Leo XIV’s call to “move from words to action” must not remain a slogan.“We echo this urgent appeal and call on the global Church, governments, and all sectors of society to step...

The INC sample ballot for Bacolod City.*The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) is endorsing the candidacy of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez for congressman and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran for mayor of Bacolod City.INC Bacolod is also endorsing the P3PWD Partylist whose number one nominee is Negrense Rowena Guanzon, former Commission on Elections commissioner, its sample ballots released Friday showed.Councilor Kalaw Puentevella has also been endorsed by the INC for vice mayor of Bacolod.Eleven of the candidates for councilor on the team of Benitez are also on the INC list. They are Em Ang, Homer Bais, Caesar Distrito, Celia Flor, Vladimir Gonzalez, Dindo Ramos, Bobby Rojas, Israel Salanga, Thaddy Sayson, Pao Sy and Jason Villarosa.Wilson Gamboa Jr. who is running for coun...

A calm Kanlaon Volcano as seen from La Castellana in Negros Occidental.*The Commission on Elections and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) are all set for Election Day in areas affected by Kanlaon Volcano's unrest in the Negros Island Region (NIR) on Monday, May 12.Close to 5,000 evacuees will be ferried in government vehicles to their alternative polling centers in La Castellana, Bago City and La Carlota City, OCD NIR Regional Director Donato Sermeno said on Friday.Sermeno said he is urging the evacuees to cooperate and follow the instructions for peaceful and orderly polls.Ther OCD remains on Red Alert with Kanlaon Volcano still under Alert Level 3.Mari-Andylene Quintia, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) resident volcanologist at the Mt. Kanlaon...

The Oplan Halalan 2025 Command Center*The Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) announced on Friday, May 9, that it is fully prepared to ensure reliable power supply throughout the upcoming National and Local Elections on Monday, with a comprehensive contingency plan dubbed "Oplan Halalan 2025" in place.The company's Oplan Halalan 2025 plan covers 159 participating schools, seven canvassing centers, and a COMELEC tech hub, supported by a total substation capacity of 281MVA, 11 substations, 13 power transformers, and 47 feeder lines, Engr. Bernard Bailey Del Castillo, Negros Power Chief Operations Officer, said.Negros Power has already completed key infrastructure improvements and preventive maintenance activities ahead of the elections, Del Castillo said.Power load...