Top Stories

Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and the  city councilors at the  inauguration of the Bahay Bulilit Learning Center in Barangay Taculing.*Romeo Subaldo photo Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and McDonald's Philippines officially turned over their first Bahay Bulilit Learning Center to Bacolod City on Monday, July 29. Located in Barangay Taculing, it is the 42nd Bahay Bulilit Learning Center in the country. It demonstrates McDonald's and RMHC'S long-standing commitment of championing Filipino children's well-being through education, said Adi Timbol-Hernandez, McDonald's Philippines Assistant Vice President for Corporate Relations and Impact and Vice President of RMHC Philippines. "McDonald's founder and owner, and RMHC Chairman, George T. Yang has always ...

A patrolman died after he accidentally fired his firearm hitting his jaw in Brgy. Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.The 28-year-old patrolman of Isabela, Negros Occidental, whose name was withheld, died on Friday, July 26, five days after he was confined at the San Carlos City Hospital because of  the accident, the police reported. Capt. Honey Labaro, San Carlos City deputy police chief, said in a text message that the cause of death was perforating craniofacial brain trauma.Police investigation revealed that the victim accidentally pulled the trigger of his service firearm, a 9mm pistol, while he was attempting to put it in his shoulder bag.The accidental firing resulted to a gunshot to the right side of the victim’s jaw.*

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office arrested seven of the 18 individuals apprehended region-wide in anti-illegal drug operations from July 25 to 26.Records from Police Regional Office-6 showed that they conducted 12 operations that led to the arrest of 18 suspects and seizure of suspected shabu worth P3 million.NOCPPO had the highest number of arrests with seven while the Capiz Police Provincial Office had the biggest haul with 125 grams of suspected shabu valued at P850,000.The Police Office have arrested five individuals, Capiz PPO - three, Iloilo PPO - two, and Bacolod CPO - 1.PRO-6 also reported that Iloilo CPO also seized 110 grams of suspected shabu valued at P748,000 and confiscated one firearm.The suspects are now under the police custody and will be ...

The  launch of the “Libre Kapon and Bakuna” program of the Bacolod City Veterinary Office at the Negros Occidental High School campus* The Bacolod City Veterinary Office (CVO) has  launched the “Libre Kapon and Bakuna” or free neuter and vaccination program to protect students and teachers against rabies and promote animal welfare in public schools. Dr. John Michael Cabuguason, the assistant city veterinarian, said on Monday, July 29,  they conducted the pilot activity last week at the  Negros Occidental High School (NOHS), which availed of free anti-rabies vaccination and spay and neuter services mainly for cats and dogs staying inside the campus. “Our target are all public schools. We have coordinated with the Department of Education Schools Division ...

Vulnerability and risk assessment conducted in Bacolod City in April this year. *Bacolod City DRRMO Thirteen local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, are undergoing geological assessment for risk reduction and resiliency being conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Western Visayas (DENR-MGB Region 6).These include land geohazard assessment, coastal geohazard assessment, and groundwater resource mapping and assessment under the National Geohazard Assessment and Mapping Program.MGB-6 data, as of Monday, July 29, showed that Bacolod City was assessed for the land geohazard during the first half of 2024, while Pontevedra town followed for the remaining second half.In 2023, Don Salvador Ben...

Schools under the Department of Education – Negros Occidental Division have enrolled 159,347 elementary and secondary learners, its spokesperson said on Friday, July 26. Classes are set to start on Monday, July 29, and additional enrollees will still be accepted, Arnold Arnaez, the division’s spokesperson, said.The enrollees as of Friday were about one half of last year’s 325,000, which Arnaez said could be because of the delayed downloading of the names of those who enrolled online.There are also those who wait until classes start to enroll, he added. Of the total enrollees on Friday, 88,724 were elementary learners and 70,623 were secondary students, Arnaez said. Those enrolled in private schools were 26,852 of which 9,000 were elementary learners and 2...

The section of the esplanade wall that caved in*Romeo Subaldo photo    A section of the wall of the P37 million esplanade beside the Bacolod City Government Center caved in amid heavy rain this week.Jolito Agaton, a resident of the area, said cracks had been seen on the side of esplanade wall earlier.When heavy rain poured the side of the esplanade caved in at about 2 p.m. Wednesday, he said.The esplanade project of the Department of Public Works and Highways was opened to the public on June 2019.DPWH District Engineer Abraham Villareal could not be reached for comment.Some of the lamp posts at the esplanade have also been stolen, while others no longer work.*

PCol. Joeresty Coronica, BCPO director* The new Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director said he has ordered a deeper investigation into persons collecting   sensitive   information, which could pose a threat to national security. PCol. Joeresty Coronica, who assumed his post as BCPO director on Wednesday, held a press conference on Friday, July 26, where he outlined his priorities. He said among his priorities is to determine the motive of a Chinese-looking businesswoman in collecting information from government issued identification cards and driver’s licenses of Bacolod residents for a fee. “We want to know what the information is used for”, Coronica said, adding that they have not discounted the possibility that a syndicate is b...

Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez at the  Negros and  Siquijor Island Region  Disaster Risk  Reduction Management Summit on Friday.* Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez called  the Negros and  Siquijor Island Region  Disaster Risk  Reduction Management Summit  at the Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center on Friday, July 26,  a historic event. “The safety and welfare of our people, the security of our economies, and our future depend on our collective action as one region,” said Benitez, in his speech. The summit  organized by the  Alliance of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers in Negros Island Inc. (ADDRMONI) was their first since President Ferdinand Marcos signed the creation of the Negros Island Regio...

More than 5,000 commercial establishments in malls in Bacolod City could be closed down for lack of fire inspection certificates and business permits.The majority of the tenants at the 888 China Town Square Mall have been issued second notices of violation because of lack of business permits.City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said Friday, July 26,  the Bureau of Fire Protection has also not given the mall a fire inspection certificate for failure to comply with the requirements of the Fire Code of the Philippines.This has affected the mall tenants whose stores could be closed down, he said.DIGICAST NEGROS tried to get the side of the mall management but they refused to comment on the matter.The Permits and Licensing Division said several other malls in the ci...