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A newborn baby was found inside a box left by a man in a parked jeepney in Brgy. Zone 8, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday night, June 8.The baby girl was found after she was heard crying, a resident said.The man who left the baby was caught in CCTV footage but no one in the brgy has identified him, the police said.The baby was brought to the Talisay City Health Office to get medical attention and is now under the custody of the Talisay City Social Welfare and Development Office.Lt. Col. Salvador Trono Jr., Talisay police chief, said when the parents of the baby are identified, they could face child abuse charges.*

A man and his live-in partner died when he lost control of his motorcycle at Sitio Gi-ob, Brgy. Magsaysay, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Monday, June 9.The victims were identified as Eusebio Tebor Jr., 60, and his live-in partner Marita Emnasin, 52, of Brgy. McKinley, Guihulngan.The motorcycle went off the road causing fatal injuries to the couple.Meanwhile, a man drowned while at the beach with his family and neighbors in Brgy. Jugno, Amlan town, Negros Oriental, Sunday, June 8.The victim was identified as alias “Felix” who was 57 years old.*

A man who was found dead on the shore in Brgy. Taloc, Bago City, Negros Occidental, has been identified by his family, the police said on Tuesday, June 10.He was identified as Peter John Delos Reyes, 25, of Brgy. 39, Bacolod City.Bago Acting Police Chief, Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, said that the mother of the victim positively identified him.On June 8, the victim was found by two fishermen while they were pulling their fishnets along the shore.The victim was already in an advanced state of decomposition when he was found.The victim drowned and there was no foul play involved, Pico said.*

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia (center) with Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr.  and NIR Regional Election Director Lionel  Marco Castillano (right) at the conference in Bacolod City.*CPG photo The House of Representatives  approved  on third and final reading Monday night, June 9, a bill that  extends the terms of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from three years to six years.HB No.11287, which was approved with  153 votes,  also seeks to postpone the  December 1 Barangay  and SK elections to the second Monday of May 2029.There were four negative votes, and one abstention.That  means the incumbent barangay and SK officials elected on  Oct. 30, 2023 will remain in office until the next election in May 2...

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia (center) with Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. and NIR Regional Election Director Lionel Marco Castillano (right) at the press conference in Bacolod City on Monday.*CPG photo(This story has been updated - please visit https://digicastnegros.com/house-oks-bill-extending-terms-of-brgy-sk-officials-to-six-years/)The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will he held on December 1 as scheduled, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia assured on Monday, June 9.Garcia, who was in Bacolod City with other Comelec officials for a post midterm elections assessment, said at a press conference at Seda Capitol Central that they discussed preparations for the BSKE, which have already started.“We were informed by reliable sources th...

The DA NIR mobile spraying machine used to combat the RSSI spread.*DA photoThe Sugar Regulatory Administration chief on Monday, June 9, urged local government units with sugar farms badly hit by the highly destructive red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI) to declare states of emergency to enable the SRA to expedite the delivery of assistance to the affected areas.“We are requesting the LGUs with sugar farms affected by RSSI to declare a state of emergency or a state of calamity because declaring such will allow the SRA and the DA (Department of Agriculture) to expedite procurement processes and extend services quicker,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.The procurement process will be faster for the pesticides and chemicals needed, he said in an interview at an RSSI Stak...

The  body found  in Purok Yap, Barangay Alangilan in Bacolod City*The body of a man whose hands and feet were tied with duct tape was found in a grassy area near the road at Purok Yap, Brgy. Alangilan, Bacolod City, Monday morning.Maj. Marc Joeil Reclamado, Bacolod Police Station 5 commander, said that the victim was identified a Christian Bawang of Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod, by his relatives.The victim’s mouth was also gagged and “Winston Bawang ikaw dason pusher” was written on a cardboard next to his body.The Scene of the Crime Operatives also found five small sachets of suspected shabu in the victim’s pocket, Reclamado said.The area where the victim was found has no street lights and cell signal. The police believe that the victim was killed elsewhere and h...

The Negros Occidental Bids and Awards Committee has declared the bidding for the P1.2B bulk water project of the provincial government a failure, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, June 9.The BAC resolution was served to the lone bidder, a consortium of First Balfour Inc., Victorias Milling Company and FPIP Utilities Inc., on May 16, he said.The issue was the tariff that was set by the lone bidder at P24 per cubic meter that was more expensive than expected, the governor said.“When we find a solution we will call for a rebidding, because others may want to join if the problem of tariff can be lowered,” he saidIt is expected that before the end of the year, the project will be rebidded and awarded.Lacson wants the bulk water project completed before his term as gov...

The Negros Occidental provincial government will start selling P20 per kilo rice this weekend sourced from a farmer-irrigators group,  Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, June 9. The sale will start in Pulupandan town this weekend, and after that they will be visiting other local government units, he said.There will be 50 sacks of rice allocated for the P20 per kilo rice program this month, he said.Lacson said they have not heard from the National Food Authority informing them that they are ready to provide rice to the province for the P20 per kilo rice program.“I guess it's because they prioritized Bacolod,” he said.“We are not waiting for NFA anymore, the provincial government is sourcing its rice for the program from the Federation of Irrigators Association of ...

Rockwell Land Corp. chief executive officer Nestor Padilla (left) and Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (center) seal with a handshake the signing of the deed of donation for the 2,130-square meter land donated by the property developer to the Bacolod in the presence of Rep. Greg Gasataya on Monday.*Bacolod PIO photoBacolod City government officials on Monday, June 9, broke ground for the establishment of essential emergency facilities on the land donated by the Lopez family-led Rockwell Land Corp. in Barangay Mandalagan.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Rockwell Land chief executive officer Nestor Padilla signed the deed of donation for the 2,130 square meter land, in the presence of Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya and other city officials.“We found that this location would be mo...