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Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region director*The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) is stepping up monitoring operations to determine possible online selling of the illegal Thuoc Lao cigarettes or “tuklaw” in the region.“We will do cyber patrolling for us to monitor if they also sell online here in Bacolod,” PRO-NIR Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay said in a press conference on Monday, August 18.He said the PRO-NIR remains relentless in its campaign against illegal drugs, especially in educating the youth on its ill effects. They are also urging the public to be vigilant against new kinds of prohibited drugs.Ibay issued the reminder in the wake of the warning from Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nic...

BCPO Director Col. Joeresty Coronica receives the “Best City Police Office” award from PRO NIR Director BGen. Arnold Thomas Ibay.*PNP photoThe Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) recognized eight police units and stations across Negros Island for their performance during the flag-raising ceremony at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, on Monday, Aug. 18.PBGen. Arnold Thomas C. Ibay, PRO NIR director, led the awarding rites with members of the Regional Staff, honoring city and municipal police stations, mobile force companies, and individual personnel.Among the awardees were the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, named Best Police Provincial Office; the Bacolod City Police Office as Best City Police Office; and the Bayawan...

Mayor Greg Gastaya with Pedro Valdez on Monday* BCCO photoMayor Greg Gasataya and the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD) are conducting door-to-door distributions of local social pensions, ensuring that bedridden beneficiaries receive their benefits.The initiative is part of the ongoing local social pension payout for 1,510 senior citizens across the city, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.Pedro Valdez, 74, of Barangay Sum-ag, who was visited by Gasataya on Monday, August 18, is battling pulmonary disease.He expressed his gratitude for the special attention."I'm glad that he personally took time for us, because I can no longer go to the payout centers. I’m very thankful for his visit," Valdez said.The mayor and DSSD p...

The blessing of the revitalized Operating Room.* Bago PIO photoThe Bago City Hospital officially opened its revitalized Operating Room (OR) on Monday, August 18.Bago City Mayor Marina “Mayette” Javellana-Yao said the project will bring “new doors of hope, healing, and life for our people.”The project, dubbed “New Beginnings,” reflects a core promise of the mayor’s administration to provide accessible healthcare, according to a press release from Bago City.“Healthcare is not simply a service; it is a lifeline, and every Bagonhon deserves that lifeline within reach,” Javellana-Yao said.The revitalized OR is now able to provide more services to Bagonhons, including Tonsillectomy, Cholecystectomy, Herniorrhaphy, and Cesarean Sections, among other surgeries, the press releas...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson*The P1.1 billion Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project, which aims to provide residents with affordable potable water, is on hold.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Saturday, August 16, that the project cannot proceed without the approval of the Silay City government."It is on hold…it may not push through if the Silay City government does not agree to it," Lacson said."Most likely it will not push through because our water source is in Silay, which is the closest to Talisay and Bacolod", he added.Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego confirmed on Friday that he is not in favor of granting a Resolution of No Objection (RONO) for the project, which would permit it to draw water from the city's rivers.He said that taking water ...

Bacolod City government personnel clearing waterways to prevent floods*BCCO photoBacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is convening a Flood Control Summit to find solutions for Bacolod City’s recurring flood problem.The summit will gather residents, government officials, contractors, and experts. Its purpose is to create and implement "real, doable solutions," Benitez said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Saturday, August 16.A date has not been set yet.After heavy floods hit the city in July, Benitez stressed the need for accountability for inadequate projects. However, he also acknowledged that a long-term solution requires more than just punishment."We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results," he said.He described the summit as...

Mayor Marina “Mayette” Javellana-Yao with one of the returning IDPs* Bago City PIO photoThe successful return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes at Purok Manokan in Barangay Ilijan, Bago City, Negros Occidental, stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and the spirit of Bayanihan, its officials said.Following the lowering of the status of Kanlaon Volcano to Alert Level 2, the Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) allowed the 22 families, composed of 81 individuals, who had stayed at the Payag sang Kapag-on Village in Barangay Napoles for more than eight months, to return home.A comprehensive “Bayanihan kag Pagbangon: Rebuild and Adopt a Home” program was implemented for their return home on Saturday, August 16, the cit...

The 8-hectare Barangay Talaptap property*The Negros Occidental provincial government is moving forward with the purchase of an 8-hectare property in Barangay Talaptap, La Castellana, which will serve as a permanent relocation site for residents from within Mt. Kanlaon’s 4-kilometer permanent danger zone.Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said "As far as La Castellana is concerned, we're going to push through with the purchase of the 8-hectare property."The total cost of the land is P14,400,000, at P180 per square meter.Lacson added that they have already discussed the project with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the National Housing Authority (NHA)."They are ready to help as far as the housing component is concerned," he said.*

Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria (left) and Negros Occidental Eugenio Jose Lacson at the RDC meeting.* Negros Oriental Facebook page photoThe Regional Development Council of the Negros Island Region (RDC NIR) will prioritize road connectivity and the improvement of the Siquijor Airport, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Saturday, August 17.Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria, the newly elected RDC NIR chairperson, emphasized these projects during his speech on August 13, Lacson said.Sagarbarria highlighted the need to improve road links between the two Negros provinces and to extend the Siquijor Airport runway to potentially make it an international airport.Lacson noted that a similar upgrade is also needed for Negros ...

The fire that hit a house in Gardenville Subdivision, Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod City.*A fire broke out in Gardenville Subdivision, Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod City, late Friday afternoon, August 16, leaving one two-storey house destroyed and causing an estimated P3.3 million in damages.The Bureau of Fire Protection- Bacolod City said the fire was reported at 5:47 p.m. and was declared out at at about 6:08 p.m.The fire consumed a 255-square-meter home owned by Remedios Juntela, where four families and 13 individuals lived.No casualties or injuries were reported.Initial investigation points to electrical ignition as the cause of the fire, records added.*