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Advocates from various sectors in Negros Occidental form themselves into a blue heart at the Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod City to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday, July 30.*Negros Occidental PIO photoAdvocates from various sectors in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City joined the Blue Heart campaign in separate gatherings at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon and the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on Tuesday, July 30.In the province, Fifth District Board Member Rita Gatuslao, Provincial Council for Women chairperson Andrea Lizares-Si, and Gender and Development action officer Marie June Castro led the blue heart formation to signify the global awareness-raising initiative to fight human trafficking and ...

Power Watch Negros supports the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA). They join the call to overhaul the EPIRA law because it is a “failed policy”, Power Watch Secretary-General Wennie Sancho said on Tuesday, July 30.  “It is time to conduct a comprehensive assessment of its failure to meet the promised objectives”, Sancho said. “An amendment should come up with solutions that will hopefully put an end to the yearly power outages and the many ailments of the power industry”, he added. Sancho said without efficient regulators, strict accountability mechanisms for inefficiency and abusive behaviors, and strong limitations on concentration and cross-ownership, it is impossible for EPIRA to bring...

DOH Undersecretary for the Visayas Mary Ann Maestral* The Department of Health regional office in the Negros Island Region (NIR) is setting up a satellite office in Bacolod City, DOH Undersecretary for the Visayas Mary Ann Maestral assured on Monday, July 29. Maestral, former chief of the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City, is now the DOH Undersecretary for the Visayas, covering Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, and the NIR.Among her tasks is to oversee the establishment of the DOH regional office in the NIR that will be based in Negros Oriental as stated in the law creating the new region.The setting up of the satellite office in Bacolod will spare people from Negros Occidental from having to go to Dumaguete City for submission of documents...

The decorticating machines and shredders being loaded on to the C-130 at the Bacolod Silay Airport on Sunday.*A Bacolod firm is assisting the government in preventing an oil spill spread from the M/T Terra Nova that sank off the coast of Limay, Bataan, last week.“We are not charging anything, it’s our way of assisting the government in our small way in times of crisis,” Ramon Uy Sr., RU Foundry and Machine Shop Corp. owner, said on Sunday.Their decorticating machines and shredders were fetched by a C-130 Philippine Air Force plane from the Bacolod Silay Airport and flown to Clark International Airport on Sunday, he said.His staff in Manila will assist in the operation of the equipment on site, Uy said.“The machines will be used to decorticate and shred coconut husk and ...

Mayor Marvin Malacon at a press conference in EB Magalona on Monday.* Mayor Marvin Malacon said on Monday, July 29, that he hopes to see EB Magalona town in Negros Occidental become a city in 10 years.Meanwhile, they are just waiting for a certification from the Bureau of Local Government Finance on EB Magalona’s conversion from a second to first class municipality, as it has already met the required criteria, he said.Municipalities are classified as First Class, if they have obtained an annual regular income of P200,000,000 or more in the last three years, which EB Magalona hast met Municipal Budget Officer Debbie Ann Monte saidThe reclassification is expected to give the town a higher National Tax Allotment share.EB Magalona has a NTA share of P225.7 million this year...

The Cauayan District Hospital* The management of the Cauayan District Hospital in Cauayan town, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, July 27, issued an advisory informing the public that it will temporarily suspend admission of patients effective immediately until further notice.“This is due to the increasing number of patients we are currently catering to, which has caused us to reach our maximum bed capacity in both the emergency room and ward,” the advisory said.Only extreme emergency cases will be catered to, it said.“We advise the public to seek alternative hospitals for their medical needs,” the advisory said, adding that updates on the situation with be provided.*

A man was stabbed to death by his nephew after a misunderstanding in Purok Mahoganoy, Brgy. Mambaroto, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, on Monday,  July 29, the police reported. Jolito Mahilum, 54, was allegedly stabbed by Benjie Biasong, 33, his nephew, also of Purok Mahoganoy, the police said. The victim was at a drinking session at the house of his sister-in-law when the suspect had a heated argument with him, the police added. When the victim was on the way home, the suspect suddenly stabbed him in the stomach, the police said. The suspect fled after the incident.* 

The police arrested two individuals and seized three firearms after they were caught creating alarm and scandal in Purok EDC, Brgy. Mailum, Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Friday, July 26.The two persons, whose names were withheld by the police, were arrested after an illegal discharge of firearms.Investigation revealed that a barangay kagawad reported to the police that there was an illegal discharge of firearm.When the police responded, they caught the suspects creating alarm and scandal and were seen to have firearms.The police confiscated from them an improvised firearm or “boga”, improvised 12-gauge shotgun or “sulpak” with a 12-gauge shell, .38 caliber revolver with four live ammunition, and a knife.When the suspects were arrested they failed to present documents...

About 109 vendors have started transferring inside the new Sum-ag Public Market in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City.Sum-ag Brgy. Capt. Rodney Carmona told DIGICAST NEGROS on Monday that all vendors outside of the newly-constructed public market must move inside the premises by Tuesday night, July 30.There will only be seven to eight meat stalls that will remain outside of the market as their space is still being constructed, he said.Carmona said that he has yet to visit the market to check on the situation but he reiterated that all the stalls except for the meat vendors will be moved inside.The construction of the P65 million New Sum-ag Public Market started in 2021 and the displaced vendors have been temporarily selling their goods outside, causing traffic congestion.Car...

The Hofileña Museum in Silay City.*Ronnie Baldonado  photo The Silay police and the Hofileña family are preparing to file theft charges against two suspects who stole   an 88-year-old painting by National Artist Fernando Amorsolo from the Hofileña Museum in Silay City. The “Mango Harvesters” painting valued by the National Museum at P8 to P12 million was recovered by the National Bureau of Investigation   (NBI) in Quezon City when two persons attempted to sell it on July 12. However, the actual thieves who stole the painting from the Hofileña Museum of July 3 are still at-large. Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca, Silay police chief, said on Friday, July 26, that their investigation shows that the male and female who stole the painting on July ...