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The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) registered 130,378 new voter applicants from August 1 to 10 for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).Negros Occidental led the registration with 78,313 applicants, followed by Negros Oriental with 47,648, and Siquijor with 4,417, Comelec NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano said on Monday.Castillano noted an overwhelming number of young voters, aged 15 to 17, who registered for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.He expressed surprise at their eagerness, citing long queues and a young person even fainting in Valencia, Negros Oriental.Voter registration applications will be reviewed by the Election Registration Boards (ERB) during hearings on August 26. These boards are res...

Mayor Greg Gasataya successfully brokered an emergency agreement between BACIWA-PrimeWater and Bacolod Bulk Water Incorporated (BBWI) on Monday, August 11, preventing a potential water shortage that could have affected thousands of residents.The crisis stemmed from BBWI's threat to shut down its Sum-Ag Water Treatment Plant due to unpaid invoices from May to June 2025, according to a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office.BBWI is a crucial supplier for Bacolod, providing 40 percent of BACIWA-PrimeWater’s total capacity through its Granada and Sum-Ag treatment plants.A shutdown would have severely impacted eight barangays — Sum-Ag, Cabug, Felisa, Handumanan, Mansilingan, Punta Taytay, Pahanocoy, and Tangub — all of which rely on the Mansilingan Reservoir."...

Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez*Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez is calling for a temporary blacklist of contractors with a history of failed flood control projects, arguing that this is the first real step to holding those who have benefited from public funds without delivering results accountable.Benitez said on Monday, August 11, that concrete solutions to the country's flooding problems begin with identifying those who have failed to execute projects intended to protect communities, and reduce the damage caused by heavy rains and typhoons."The next step must be to ensure that every peso in our flood mitigation budget is spent on projects that actually protect lives and property — not fill the pockets of the corrupt," he said in a Facebook post....

The ambulance driver and his companion during their arrest.*BCPO photoAn ambulance driver of the Cadiz City government in Negros Occidental apprehended in a drug bust will automatically be suspended and, if proven guilty, will face dismissal from the service, Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said on Monday, August 11.Apprehended in a drug bust in Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, Sunday night were the ambulance driver identified as alias Riche, 50, and alias Evon, 27, a home-based call center agent, both from Cadiz City, the police reported.Seized from them were about 80 grams of suspected shabu valued at P544,000, the police said.Escalante said Riche is a regular employee of the Cadiz City government.He and his companion were on the watchlist of the police, the mayo...

A heated argument between half-brothers turned deadly when a 27-year-old man allegedly stabbed and killed his 41-year-old sibling at Urban Phase 4, Brgy. Rizal in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday afternoon, August 10.Police identified the victim as Charles Ian Alquisalas and the suspect, Alexis Cueva of Brgy Rizal.Capt. Rodney Sarona, San Carlos deputy police chief, said the incident stemmed from a heated argument between the two, which escalated until Cueva allegedly attacked Alquisalas with a cutting knife.The victim was found lying facedown on the pavement, bloodied and lifeless, when the police arrived.Cueva was arrested inside his house in Brgy Rizal.Sarona said the victim’s family plans to file a murder case against the suspect.The knife believed ...

Pork prices in Negros Occidental have dropped significantly following the recovery of the local hog industry, as more Negrense hog raisers were allowed to resume operations after restrictions from the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak were lifted.Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros Occidental president Ric Lauron said retail prices now range from P230 to P250 per kilo, down from the previous P280 to P300.He attributed the price decline to the increased supply from raisers, alongside the off-milling season, which also dampens demand.Liveweight prices have likewise decreased from P200 per kilo to around P140 to P160 per kilo.Lauron, however, said the trend may reverse in the coming months as the “ber” season approaches, when demand for pork typically rises.*

The area where the drowning occured.*A 10-year-old boy drowned while swimming with friends in the Guintubhan River in Brgy. 1, Isabela, Negros Occidental, Saturday afternoon, Aug. 9.The police identified the victim only as “Niko” of Brgy. 4, Isabela.Niko was in the river with two other minors when he reached a deep section of the water and was unable to resurface, police investigation showed.His friends immediately called for help, prompting a bystander, alias Alberto, to rush in and pull him to the riverbank.Maj. Joseph Partidas, Isabela police chief, said the quick action of the victim’s friends in calling for assistance was crucial in bringing him to shore, but unfortunately, it was too late.Rescue personnel brought the boy to the Ignacio Lacson Arroyo Memorial D...

The buy-bust operation in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.*A jeepney driver and a fish vendor were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City, that led to the seizure of about ₱680,000 worth of suspected shabu early Monday morning, Aug. 11.The police identified the suspects as Reagan Perez, 38, a jeepney driver and resident of Brgy. Handumanan, and Rolando Padilla, 40, a fish vendor and resident of Brgy. 22.The Bacolod City Police Office–City Drug Enforcement Unit (BCPO-CDEU) conducted the operation at around 12:03 a.m. at Bangga Vista Alegre, Brgy. Mansilingan where the suspects were arrested after allegedly selling a sachet of suspected shabu to the operative.Confiscated from the suspects were one sachet of suspected shabu as the buy-bust item, ni...

Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) on Monday, August 11, explained the importance of bill deposits and the option for refunds amid the transition from the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO).Negros Power Assistant Vice President for Customer Care Maricel Pe said that the bill deposit is a mandatory and standard requirement for all Distribution Utilities (DUs) in the country, as mandated by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).It serves as a security measure to cover future electricity bills and ensure uninterrupted service, Pe said.Pe added that new consumers who applied for a connection with Negros Power have already paid their bill deposit as part of the application and energization process.For former CENECO consumers who still have an existin...

The Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) honored its top-performing personnel in administration and operations during an awards ceremony at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on Monday, August 11.Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas C. Ibay, PRO NIR regional director, led the awarding rites.Negros Occidental Board Member Rita Angela S. Gatuslao, who was the event’s guest of honor, praised the relentless dedication of the Philippine National Police, particularly the PRO NIR personnel, in their sworn duty to protect lives and maintain peace and order.The awards were a "testament to the hard work, integrity, and sacrifices made by police officers in the line of duty", she said.The awardees for outstanding performance were:· Best Senior Police Commissioned...