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Former governor Isidro Zayco* Gov. Eugenio  Jose Lacson  said on Wednesday, July 31, that he  would prefer that  former governor Isidro Zayco remains as the  head of the Nationalist People’s Coalition in Negros Occidental. Zayco on Tuesday said he does not want to be the provincial chairman of the NPC as he is not an elected official anymore, although he will remain with the party. The  provincial chairman should be  Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ. 6th District) or Rep. Gerardo Valmayor (Neg. Occ., 1st District, who are his partymates,  Zayco said. “He’s been wanting to step down but we always encourage him to stay on,” Lacson said. “I would like to have him, he is the most senio...

The Bago City police denied claims that New People’s Army rebels were the culprits behind a fire that hit a poultry farm in Purok Mabuhay, Brgy. Sagasa, Bago City, Negros Occidental.Bago Police Chief, Lt.Col. Jay Malong, said on Wednesday, July 31, that they are still investigating the incident but he assured that there is no NPA presence in the city.The Bureau of Fire Protection-Bago City reported that four armed individuals burned a poultry farm in Purok Mabuhay on Monday.The suspects tied up five farm workers and burned the area, the report said. Malong denied that alleged extortion letters received by the poultry farm owner came from the NPA.* 

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson* President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’ s approval of the 25-year  franchise for Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) to manage and operate the electricity distribution system in Central Negros is a welcome development, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on  Wednesday, July 31. Lacson said “with the President signing the NEPC franchise and NEPC committing an initial capital of P2 billion for a comprehensive five-year plan aimed at rehabilitating and modernizing our electric infrastructure, we expect a secure power supply, improved power distribution, and better customer service.” “This is a very welcome development and improvement for our electricity and power-related challenges,” he said. The law will take to ...

The distribution of the  financial assistance at the Capitol.*Richard Malihan photo  Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson led the distribution of financial assistance worth P228,000 to 17 peace and development community volunteers from various towns and cities of Negros Occidental at the Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, July 31.  The peace volunteers are former rebels who are now members of the Sentrong Alyansa ng Mamamayan Para sa Bayan (SAMBAYANAN), which advocates peace and development programs. SAMBAYANAN is an organization composed of former members of the New People’s Army who abandoned their allegiance to the underground communist movement. Gen. Orlando Edralin - 303rd Infantry Brigade Commander, Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan - 79th IB Commander, and Col. Rai...

EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon turns 51 on August 6* The dismissal of the P6.9 million graft cases against him after a six-year legal battle is the best birthday gift,  EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon who turns 51 on August 6, said.    "Best birthday gift ever. I wish no more on my birthday. The Ombudsman's decision, exonerating me and my 18 co-accused from trumped-up charges is beyond enough to thank God and to celebrate," Malacon said in a press release Wednesday, July 31. He said six years of battling false accusations fueled by plain innuendo was tiresome.  "But I never gave up. Not just for myself, but for my family and co-accused's sake," Malacon stressed."The Ombudsman's decision is like a beacon from afar that will...

Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez (7th from left) with G-Xchange and Victorias officials.*Victorias City has solidified its position as a pioneer in digital governance in the Philippines through a groundbreaking partnership with G-Xchange Inc. for the DigiCities Program, Wednesday,  July 31. Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez led the signing of the memorandum of agreement under the GCash’s DigiCities Program at the Victorias City Hall, a press release from Victorias said.The collaboration aims to equip Victorias City with cutting-edge digital tools and expertise to revolutionize service delivery, foster financial inclusion, and create a future-ready community, it said.  Benitez announced that Victorias is the first LGU in the country to sign for DigiCities, an expand...

NEPC has augmented CENECO in preventive maintenance activities even before the takeover.* President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the franchise for Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) to manage and operate the electricity distribution system in Central Negros.  The President signed Republic Act Number 12011 on July 26, a day before it would have lapsed into law, to ensure   “continuous and uninterrupted electricity supply across the franchise area”. The law will take to effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation, allowing   NEPC to take over the operations of Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) in August.    NEPC has allocated an initial capital o...

Principal 1 Reynaldo Mojares.* A principal is in critical condition after he fell off the roof of an elementary school building  in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental. Reynaldo Mojares, 60,  who is principal 1 at the  Guinpana-an Elementary School, is now in the intensive care unit of the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City, Arnold Arnaez, Department of  Education Negros Occidental Schools  Division spokesperson,  said on Tuesday,  July 30. Mojares along with his  wife and  other teachers went to  Guinpana-an Elementary School  on Sunday for last  minute cleaning   ahead of the start of classes  the next day, Arnaez said. The  principal at about 5 p.m. saw a lot of leaves on the ro...

The damaged van from the explosion.* Amity Volunteer Fire Brigade photo A van was destroyed while a nearby pet clinic was damaged after a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tank exploded in the vehicle at Bangga Kametal, Brgy. Mandalagan, Bacolod City, Monday, July 29. The explosion left three persons in the van injured. Jomar Lachica, the caretaker at the clinic, said that he experienced temporary loss of hearing and chest pains when the explosion happened, thinking it was their generator set. When he went outside, he saw the van already destroyed and the victims with burns on different parts of their bodies. Due to the impact of the explosion, the roof of the van was blown off. The jalousie windows  and ceiling of the clinic and a  nearby ...

The demolished Talave Bridge.* photo courtesy of Andoni Llantada  The National Historical Commission of the Philippines has issued a Cease-and-Desist Order (CDO) to halt the demolition of Talave Bridge that connects Calatrava town to San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.However, the CDO dated July 16 came too late as the 91-year-old bridge has already been totally demolished, heritage advocate Andoni Llantada, who has been calling for its preservation, said on Tuesday, July 30.The demolition began in July 2023 and was completed this year, he said.The 100-meter Talave steel bridge, which crosses the Talave River, was built in 1933 by the United States Steel Products Co., based on the marker installed by the builder at the foot of the bridge.Llantad...