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The Philippine Army's 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) seized an arms cache believed to belong to the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) in Sitio Purok, Brgy. Mantiquil, Siaton, Negros Oriental, on August 8.The operation resulted in the recovery of five high-powered firearms, a press release from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division said on Wednesday, August 13.The mission was launched after a concerned citizen provided a tip about the location of the hidden weapons, it said.Military personnel recovered three M-16 assault rifles, two M-14 assault rifles, seven M-14 magazines, and other war material from the site, the 3ID report said.Maj. Gen. Michael G. Samson, 3ID commander, lauded the Lapu-Lapu troopers for their "patience, dedication, and commitment to the mission.""Your acco...

City officials and organizers of the 5th Bacolod Rum Festival at the Bacolod City Government Center lobby on Wednesday.* The Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival 2025 is set to take place at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds from August 28 to 31.This year’s festival, themed “Natatagong Galing” (Hidden Talent), promises a celebration of the city's rich rum and sugarcane heritage, featuring a blend of music, food, and culture.A major draw will be the Music Festival on August 30, with performances from artists like Amiel Sol, Robledo Timido, Zack Tabudlo, and the Mayonnaise Band. They will be joined by Tanduay Ambassadors Derek Ramsay and Julia Barretto.The festival will also feature a food park, a rum appreciation night, a motorcade of brand ambassadors, a parade and street ...

Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya said he is “very supportive” of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) directive prohibiting its personnel as well as local government officials and employees from engaging in online gambling.The order is just an expansion of the existing prohibition banning government officials and employees from going to casinos and areas where there is gambling, Gasataya said on Wednesday, August 13.Memorandum Circular 2025-082 issued on Tuesday prohibits all DILG personnel, employees of its attached agencies, and all elected and appointed local government officials from accessing online gambling platforms or engaging in any form of online gambling.The DILG said the directive was issued in line with the 1987 Constitution and Republic Act 6713 o...

Inflation rates for all income households in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental eased further in July, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday showed.Bacolod City’s inflation rate decelerated to 0.1 percent in July, from 0.5 percent in June; while Negros Occidental logged 0.6 percent in July, from 1.2 percent in June.The May inflation rate in Bacolod and Negros Occidental was identical at 2.4 percent.In a press briefing, PSA-Negros Occidental officer-in-charge Diesah Biaoco said the top source of deceleration of the July inflation in Bacolod City was restaurants and accommodation services.The commodity group recorded 3.8 percent last month, from 6.1 percent in June, she said.Major contributors were food and non-alcoholic beverages at -2.1 percen...

A 43-year-old farmer, who was previously involved in a murder case, was found hacked to death in his backyard in Brgy. East, Candoni, Negros Occidental, on Monday morning, Aug. 11.The victim, identified as Rolly Bustamante, was discovered lying face down by his younger brother, Patrick, in Purok Panacmalan, Brgy. East, at around 5:30 a.m. while feeding his chickens.Patrick immediately informed relatives, who reported the incident to authorities.Capt. Leonel Adolacion, Candoni acting police chief, said that the suspect remains unidentified, but they have persons of interest in the case.Personnel from the Candoni Police Station and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Unit brought the victim to a Rural Health Unit where he was declared dead..A post-mortem exam...

Eighteen personnel from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) attended a stress debriefing session organized by the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, on Wednesday, Aug. 13.The activity gathered participants from 10 city and municipal police stations, including Cadiz, Kabankalan, San Carlos, Binalbagan, Candoni, Cauayan, Don Salvador Benedicto, Hinigaran, Ilog, and Toboso, a press release from the PRO NIR said.The group included 17 males and one female who had recently experienced stressful or traumatic incidents in the line of duty.The session was facilitated by Regional Medical and Dental Unit-6 personnel led by PMaj. Junette P. Cañete.She said that stress debriefing ...

Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV) Bacolod recently sent three delegations to international programs in Brazil and Norway, promoting peace, friendship, and cultural understanding.The participants represented the Philippines in global camps in July, engaging in activities focused on diversity, human rights, and conflict resolution, a press release from CISV Bacolod said on Wednesday, August 13..Two delegations joined the organization’s signature four-week camp for 11-year-olds in São Paulo, Brazil, and Bergen, Norway.Each group consisted of four children and an adult leader.During the camps, delegates lived and learned alongside peers from around the world.A major highlight was the National Night, where the Filipino delegates showcased the country's heritage...

Legacy Construction Corporation president Alex H. Abelido.* LCC Facebook page photoThe contractor who topped the list of 15 identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to have cornered 20 percent, or P100 billion, of the country's P545 billion flood control projects since 2022 is a Negrense from Victorias City, Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, August 12.The firm is Legacy Construction Corporation, headed by its president Alex H. Abelido, which has been in the construction business for some time, Benitez said.  The president also said that Legacy is one of five firms that have projects in “almost all regions nationwide”, Benitez added."The president mentioned this without saying that there were anomalies, he just said that these are the top 15 corpo...

The emergency room of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City will close for a P92 million renovation starting in September, Dr. Joan Cerrada, CLMMRH chief, said on Tuesday, August 12.The renovation that will take about three months aims to transform the "rundown" emergency room into a more modern facility, which Cerrada said will lead to better patient outcomes.During the closure, CLMMRH emergency patients will be temporarily sent to private hospitals.Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said that arrangements are being made for the government to cover the costs for these patients, in a program similar to the Bacolod Comprehensive Health Program.Benitez stressed the need for a simulation of the patient transfer process before the closure ...

The Negros Occidental provincial government will fully fund its P1.1 billion bulk water project in order to deliver clean water to Negrenses at cheaper rates.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Tuesday, August 12, that the project will no longer be undertaken through a public-private partnership (PPP).The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan has already approved P520 million for the first phase of the project, Diaz said.Fully funding the project will allow the Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project to provide clean and reliable water at P14 per cubic meter, he explained.If a private sector partner were involved, he said, it would be inevitable that prices would increase.The provincial government is now finalizing the terms of reference, as well a...