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The road hit by  a landslide in   Barangay Camingawan,  Kabankalan City.*Benjie Miranda  FB photo Heavy rain triggered a landslide that damaged a road at  Sitio Banga, Barangay Camingawan, Kabankalan City, Mayor Benjie Miranda said on Thursday, July 18. The damaged road that leads to Barangay Carol-an has been temporarily repaired and is now passable, Miranda said Thursday afternoon. Miranda said the soil may have cracked during the drought and heavy rains loosened it causing the landslide. No one was harmed during the landslide, he said.* 

The shabu seized in Bacong.*NOPPO photo Anti-illegal drug operatives seized some P1.3 million worth of “shabu” and arrested one suspect during a buy-bust operation in Bacong, Negros Oriental, early Wednesday, July 17. The suspect was identified as alias Axel, 58, a resident of Barangay Ubos, Bayawan City in Negros Oriental, Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), said. “Axel” was arrested around 12:31 a.m. after he allegedly sold suspected shabu to an undercover operative at Purok Masinabtanon in Barangay Lutao, Bacong. Seized from him were around 205 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P1.394 million. The suspect is listed as a "high-value individual" in the NOPPO's list of su...

Provincial Environment Management Officer Julie Ann Bedrio  at  the National Museum of Natural History* Negros Occidental  is being featured as the first province to establish a Network of Coastal Greenbelt Zones in 10 local government units at the "Our Coastal Greenbelts, Our National Treasure" exhibit  at the National Museum of Natural History in Ermita, Manila, that runs until August 2. A provincial ordinance to expand the coastal greenbelt network to the entire province has recently been enacted. Provincial Environment Management Officer Julie Ann Bedrio represented Gov. Eugenio Jose  Lacson at opening of the Oceana Philippines  exhibit on Tuesday, July  16. Lacson, in his message,  said that Negros Occidental is proud and, a...

The Bacolod City Government Center*Ronnie Baldonado photo The Bacolod City government  is harnessing solar power to lessen its monthly electricity expenses, which run to at least P10 million. As of Wednesday, July 17, the installation of the 400-kilowatt (KW) capacity solar power system on the rooftop of the Bacolod City Government Center was ongoing. Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said this would reduce the city’s power bills by half. “It will be finished soon. The installation of solar panels in 16 barangays will follow. The use of solar panels will reduce the city’s electricity expenses by 50 percent,” he said in a statement. The solar power project has a proposed budget of P100 million, funded under the P4.4 billion loan window of the city g...

Mosquitoes are the primary carriers of  dengue.*   Barangay Taculing still has the most number of dengue cases in Bacolod City, the City Health Office  (CHO) reported on Wednesday, July 17. Bacolod logged 206 dengue cases with 15 new cases reported from June 30 to July 6, the CHO reported. The dengue cases recorded in Bacolod City  this year are 17.3 percent lower compared to the same period in 2023, which had 249 cases with two deaths, the CHO said. Among the 60 barangays of Bacolod, Taculing has the highest number of cases with 35, followed by Banago with 14, Mansilingan and Granada with 12 each, and 9 each for Cabug, Alijis, Estefania, Mandalagan, Vista Alegre, and Villamonte. The CHO bulletin  reminded Bacoleños to follow the ...

The Manokan Country tenants  hold a  prayer vigil  Tuesday evening, July 16.*Andrew Altarejos photoThe Bacolod City Legal Office closed down the Manokan Country, a tourist attraction famous for its chicken inasal (grilled chicken), on Tuesday, July 16, to make way for the construction of a new building.Councilor Celia Flor, chairperson of the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse, said the 24 Manokan Country tenants signed a letter of intent on Monday stating that they agree to transfer to the temporary site being offered to them.The tenants also promised to process the transfer of their water and electricity connections to the temporary site that is just across the street from the Manokan Country, Flor said.About 10 tenants who have not...

The   Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary.* Mambukal FB page photo  The Negros Occidental provincial government purchased 11.7 hectares adjacent to the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, to preserve the environment and further enhance the development of the resort.The two purchases cost P92.18 million, Acting Provincial   Administrator Alberto Nellas Jr. said on Tuesday, July 16. The 11.7 hectares are in addition to the 24-hectare Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary, which special patent title was turned over by   the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to the Negros Occidental provincial government on Monday. The provincial government recently purchased 1.1 hectares  wo...