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A senior citizen claims her social pension for the first quarter of 2025 amounting to P3,000.*The Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas (DSWD-6) on Monday said 133,221 indigent senior citizens in the region received a total of P399.663 million in social pensions for the first quarter of 2025, including in Negros Occidental. Each beneficiary received P1,000 per month or a total of P3,000 as provided under the Republic Act (RA) 11916 or An Act Increasing the Social Pension of Senior Citizens.“The Social Pension Program reflects the DSWD’s commitment to supporting the well-being of senior citizens, ensuring they have the resources to live with dignity and security,” the DSWD-6 said in a statement.As of March, the target beneficiaries, consisting of 52...

Driver Romer Estrada who was hospitalized for hypertension was discharged on Sunday.*A truck driver who was accused by a retired general of allegedly hitting the BMW motorcycle he was driving at Bangga LTO Highway in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, on Friday afternoon, was released on bail on Saturday, April 5.The driver Romer Estrada, 51, of Talisay City, who was hospitalized for hypertension following the incident, posted bail of P3,000.The driver was charged before the Bacolod City Prosecutor’s Office for reckless imprudence resulting in physical injury and damage to property for allegedly hitting the BMW B1200 driven by Lope Ma Ubaldo Lim, 51, of Sorsogon City, which he denied.The motorcycle with a temporary license plate was registered in the name Raulo Villarta of...

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona*The United States imposition of an 18 percent tariff on sugar is no cause for alarm for now, Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona of the Sugar Regulatory Administration said on Sunday, April 6.The tariff was previously 10 percent and now the reciprocal tariff is set at 18 percent not 17 percent, he said.The explanation in the United States Department of Agriculture website is that the tariffs will be shouldered by the US importer, he said.The US buyers have not informed the Philippine exporters that they are passing on the payment of the tariff to them, Azcona said.Azcona said he is still waiting for the reply of Michael Ward, agricultural counselor of the Office of the Agricultural Affairs at the Embassy of the United States, to his le...

The NBI seized dental equipment during the entrapment operation.*The National Bureau of Investigation arrested a woman allegedly engaged in the illegal practice of dentistry in Brgy Alegria, Murcia, Negros Occidental, on Sunday afternoon.Arrested in an entrapment operation was a 38-year-old female of Barangay Alegria, Dr. Analie Gonzaga, Philippine Dental Association-Negros Occidental chapter president, said.She said the woman who was arrested for violation of Republic Act 9484, an Act that regulates the practice of dentistry in the Philippines, had previously worked as an assistant for two dentists.The arrested woman was allegedly engaged in installing braces, dentures, dental fillings and other procedures, Gonzaga said.They received a complaint from a patient that she...

A farmer died after he was attacked and gored by his carabao in Sitio Manpahong, Brgy. Banogbanog, Isabela, Negros Occidental, on Friday, April 4, the police reported on Saturday.Alias “Ariel”, 31, was working in his rice field when he was attacked by the carabao.The victim was brought to the Ignacio L. Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela where he was declared dead.*

A man trapped in a burning sugarcane field died in Sitio Omelis, Brgy. Poblacion, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, Friday, April 4.The victim was identified only as alias “Eleno”, 68, of Purok 4, Brgy. Man-uling in Cauayan.The police said the victim was burning dried sugarcane residue when he was accidentally trapped while attempting to extinguish the fire.The victim was brought to the Cauayan District Hospital where he was declared dead.*

A driver died after he was shot by an unidentified suspect in Purok Sebastian, Brgy. Sum-ag, Bacolod City, Saturday night, April 5.The police identified the victim as Micheal Yema, 45, of Brgy. Vista Alegre, Bacolod City.The victim was going to his friend’s house to celebrate a birthday.When he arrived at the area, the victim got out of his vehicle and asked the store owner for directions to get to his friend’s place.When he was about to get back in his vehicle, the victim was shot by the suspect who was driving a motorcycle.The victim was brought to a hospital but was declared dead due to a gunshot wound in his head.*

A grade 9 student drowned in the Bago River in Purok Maabi-abihon, Brgy. Lag-asan, Bago City, Negros Occidental, on Friday, April 4.Witnesses heard the victim calling for help at about 2 p.m., a police report said Saturday.Three hours later, the victim was found dead by the Bago City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office team.The victim was brought to the Bago City Hospital where he was declared dead.*

Fuel prices are expected to drop on Tuesday, April 8.Diesel prices should go down by P0.10 to P0.30 per liter, Unioil Petroleum Philippine said.Gasoline prices will have a flat to a rollback by P0.10 per liter, it added.

The police arrested a 24-year-old man and seized suspected shabu worth P340,000 in a buy-bust operation in Sitio Buldos, Brgy. San Isidro, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, on Friday, April 4.Arrested was alias “Jonie”, 24, of Brgy San Isidro, the police said.Recovered from him were 12 sachets of suspected shabu weighing 50 grams.The suspect is now under police custody and will be charged with violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*