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Reyno Jison Abasolo*A Negrense topped the June 2025 Special Professional Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers in the Secondary Level, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Friday.Reyno Jison Abasolo, a graduate of the Binalbagan Catholic College, topped the examination with a 90. 60 percent rating.There were 399 teachers who passed the special professional licensure exam out of 597 in the secondary level.The Special Professional Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers was given on June 8 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Al-Khobar, Jeddah and Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Doha, Qatar; Manama, Bahrain; Salmiya, Kuwait; Singapore; and Taipei, the PRC said.*

The New People’s Army claimed the killing of a 25-year-old man in Toboso, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, June 26.The Roselyn Jenn Pelle Command of the NPA claimed the shooting of Isagani Imalay, alias “Uko”, whom it claimed is a “notorious rapist” in Brgy. Bandila, Toboso.“He was previously charged for rape in the reactionary court and issued a warrant, but because of law enforcement's lukewarm treatment of his case, he remained scot-free,” the NPA statement said.The Toboso police said the victim was shot by about seven unidentified persons at his house at about 5 a.m. on Thursday.The victim was sitting in front of his house with his sister when the suspects approached and shot him in the head causing his death.The police recovered fired cartridges of a .45 caliber pis...

The Department of Agriculture’s mobile sprayer.*The Department of Agriculture’s vehicle used for spraying pesticides to prevent the spread of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in sugarcane fields is making the rounds of local government units in Negros Occidental, a DA official said on Friday, May 27.DA Negros Island Region Director Jose Albert Barrogo said the DA mobile sprayer was in La Carlota City on Thursday and in Cadiz City on Friday.The mobile sprayer will be in Sagay City on Tuesday.The DA provides the vehicle and the local government unit (LGU) provides the pesticides and fuel, Barrogo said.“If the DA has available pesticides we give it to them,” he added.Barrogo said so far no LGU in Negros Occidental has declared a state of calamity because of the RSS...

A man who was learning how to drive died and his companion was injured when his tricycle hit a truck along the access road in Brgy. Efegenio Lizares, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Thursday afternoon, June 26.Alias “John”, 22, of Purok Villa Gracia, Brgy. Bata, Bacolod City, died and his passenger alias “Arnold”, 37, was injured, the police said.Maj. Rhazl Jim Jocson, Talisay Deputy Police Chief, said that the victim who was learning how to drive went out of his lane.The police said because the tricycle was travelling fast it went under the truck causing serious injuries to the victims.The truck driver was identified as alias “Roberto, 41, of Cadiz City.*

Malacañang on Friday, June 27, assured that government is ready to provide fuel subsidies to public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers, farmers, and fisherfolk if global crude prices rise anew.The grant of subsidies will depend on actual market movements, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.The government continues to monitor the situation in Israel and Iran amid tensions between the two Middle East countries, she said.In a Palace press briefing, Castro assured the public that the welfare of the transport workers, farmers and fisherfolk is among the priorities of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.“There may be times when in this kind of situation, the President will not be able to decide immediately because it depends on the current situation,” she said.Castro stressed th...

JCSupt. Brendan Fulgencio*The newly-installed regional director of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Negros Island Region recently conducted a series of jail inspections in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.Regional Director JCSupt. Brendan Fulgencio conducted the inspections as part of his commitment to transparency, safety, and welfare of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), a BJMP press release said on Friday, June 27.The inspections were conducted to ensure that the jail facilities comply with established standards on security, health, and human rights, it said.They were also conducted to identify areas for improvement in facility management and service delivery.Along with BJMP-NIR officials, Fulgencio visited various district, city, and munici...

The red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation has expanded to 2,027.79 hectares of sugarcane, with 1,980.44 hectares located in Negros Occidental, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported on Thursday, June 26.The other provinces hit are Negros Oriental – 3.5 hectares, Iloilo – 24.75 hectares and Capiz – 19.1 hectares.The infestation has affected 1,097 farmers.The SRA said the 18 areas hit by RSSI in Negros Occidental are La Castellana, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Bago City, Pulupandan, Murcia, Bacolod City, Talisay City, Don Salvador Benedicto, EB Magalona, Silay City, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City, Toboso, Calatrava, Sagay City and Escalante City.But the SRA also reported that 228.16 hectares are recovering from RSSI in Bago City, Murcia, EB Mag...

Felipe Levy Gelle*          The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested a Negrense activist facing charges for alleged violation of the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 in Barangay Villamonte, Bacolod City, on Tuesday, June 24.Felipe Levy Gelle, former advocacy staff   of the  Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group and a volunteer of the Human Rights Advocates Negros, was arrested by virtue of a warrant, Col. Arwin Tadeo, CIDG-Negros Island Region chief, said Thursday.The  warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Cyril Regalado of the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court Branch 31 on Jan. 15, 2025, with bail set at P200,000. Gelle is detained  at the CIDG-Negros Island Region office in Camingawan, Bacolod City.The CIDG has already...

The Office of Civil Defense lifted the ban on the 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. entry into the 6-kilometer extended danger zone (EDZ) at Mt. Kanlaon effective Thursday, June 26, Donato Sermeno III, OCD Negros Island Region director and Task Force Kanlaon vice chairperson, said.The suspension on entry into the EDZ was lifted since the latest Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology bulletin reported that from 5 a.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday there were only four volcanic earthquakes recorded at Kanlaon with a sulfur dioxide flux of 2,382 tons.The lifting of the prohibition allows residents displaced by Kanlaon’s unrest, who are living in evacuation centers, to enter the EDZ for 10 hours daily to carry out farming and other essential activities in their villages, he said.The OCD ...

Earth moving activities at palm oil plantation halted, HAPI assures.*file photo courtesy of Joshua VillalobosThe Enforcement Division of the Environment Management Bureau 6 is validating a report that earthmoving activities are still ongoing at the palm oil plantation in Candoni, Negros Occidental.Forester Vicente Losbañes, head of the Enforcement Division, said they have received information that despite the EMB Cease and Desist Order issued versus Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI), which operates the palm oil plantation, the earthmoving activities are still ongoing.Candoni Mayor Ray Ruiz told DIGICAST NEGROS that during their monitoring, there was no movement of the company's bulldozers. Only the cultivation of oil palms continue, Ruiz said, but he will also validate th...