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A 15-year-old teenager was arrested after he allegedly stole a motorcycle, and shabu worth P124,000 was found in his possession in Purok Gemelina, Brgy. 1, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, May 25.The police said the victim, whose name they withheld, discovered that his motorcycle was in the possession of the minor and sought their help to recover it.On intercepting the minor they recovered the Orange Mio Sporty single motorcycle of the victim, the police said.The police said they also recovered three sachets of suspected shabu from the minor during a body search and 24 other sachets containing shabu inside the utility box of the motorcycle.The shabu recovered weighed 18.37 grams valued at P124,916, the police said.The minor was brought to the San Carlos Po...

A fire destroyed a space rental building affecting five shops in Brgy. 4, Himamaylan City, on Friday, May 23.Damage was placed at worth P4.45 million.The fire destroyed WRC Space Rental Building at about 6:57 p.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection-Himamaylan reported on Monday.The fire allegedly started between the spaces occupied by Wantong Motor Parts rented by Catherin Delicana and Kapehan rented by Lolita Aliling.Destroyed were an auto supply store, coffee shop, motor parts shop, water station, and internet cafe in the building.*

Consumers’ group Water Watch Advocates (WWA) is launching a signature campaign to nullify the joint venture agreement between the Bacolod City Water District and PrimeWater in Bacolod City on Wednesday, May 28.The WWA position paper calls for the nullification of the JVA for lack of transparency and public consultation, potential harm to consumers, violation of public trust, inadequate regulatory oversight, and threat to water security.The group is also calling concerned citizens, organizations, and government agencies to support their position.*

The Sayon house after the fire.* Bacolod Fire Station photoAnother child died in a fire in Bacolod City triggered by an unattended candle at 11:20 p.m. Saturday, May 25.One-year-old Adelin Sayon died, and her sister Angela Sayon, 6, was injured in the fire that destroyed their home at Purok Active, Brgy Mandalagan, Bacolod City, FSupt. Jenny Mae Masip, City Fire Marshal, said on Sunday.Masip said there were also about four partially damaged houses.The 1-year-old child’s charred body was found face down on the floor. Her siblings said when they left the house she was asleep in a cloth makeshift hammock.The child may have tried to escape the blaze as her body was found one meter away from the door, Masip said.The 6-year-old was able to get out of the house and was r...

RSSI infested sugarcane*SRA photoSugar Regulatory Administration chief Pablo Luis Azcona has sought the assistance of Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the mayors of 11 towns and cities in Negros Occidental where sugar farms have been hit by the highly destructive red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI) to contain their spread.“We have secured the help of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in putting in place quarantine measures but we are also seeking your assistance to advocate among sugar farmers in your area to immediately cordon off infested areas,” Azcona wrote the local officials.He also called for a halt to the transport of planting materials to other areas “until we can have protocols in place on how best to contain or curb these pests”.Azcona told the local officials tha...

A vehicle stuck in lahar at Barangay Biak na Bato in La Castellana on Saturday.*MJ Guardiano photoThe lahar flow from Kanlaon Volcano that hit Barangay Biak na Bato, La Castellana in Negros Occidental on Saturday, May 24, destroyed one house and damaged seven.Residents of the houses were unharmed since they have been living in evacuation centers since December, John de Asis, La Castellana, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, said on Sunday.The area hit by the lahar flow is within the 6-kilometer Kanlaon Volcano danger zone, he said.Heavy rainfall that turned Kanlaon Volcano’s ashfall into lahar flow also blocked the road at Sitio Tamburong in Barangay Biak na Bato early Saturday.The Department of Public Works and Highways, and workers from th...

Huge cargo trucks line the Looc bypass road in Dumaguete City on Thursday.*PNA/ Mary Judaline F. Partlow photoAuthorities and stakeholders in Negros Oriental are working swiftly to address the sudden influx of cargo trucks rerouted to the province amid the ongoing repair of the San Juanico Bridge in the Eastern Visayas region.Police Executive Master Sgt. Aurelio Bodo, chief of the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Team (PHPT) in the province, said Friday that they have relocated more than 20 trucks to safer areas to help decongest traffic and mitigate potential economic disruptions.“The PHPT is actively working with key stakeholders to manage the surge of truck traffic traveling from Luzon to Mindanao as a result of the ongoing repair of the San Juanico Bridge, which co...

A truck driver who was temporarily residing in Negros Occidental drowned in the Malogo River in Brgy. San Isidro, E.B. Magalona, on Saturday, May 24.The police identified the drowning victim as alias “Jay-r”, 28, of San Juan Street, Parañaque City, Metro Manila.Jay-r was temporarily residing in Silay City where he was employed as a truck driver.Investigation revealed that the victim together with his co-workers went to a nearby river to swim but he accidentally drowned.He was brought to the Teresita Lopez Jalandoni Provincial Hospital but was declared dead on arrival, the police said, adding that there was no foul play involved in the incident.*

The Manapla Port Stevedoring and Arrastre (MPSA) management announced on Sunday that the scheduled ferry trips from the Manapla Port in Negros Occidental to the Ajuy Port in Panay and vice versa will start June 28.The Lite Ferries Shipping Company will deploy bigger and faster vessels for the convenience and safety of passengers and cargo with an On-Time-Travel-Policy, the MPSA said in a press release.The Lite Ferries fleet will operate daily from Manapla Port to Ajuy Port at 7 a.m., 1 p.m., 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., while the Ajuy Port to Manapla Port trip schedule is 4 a.m., 10 a.m., 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., it said.MPSA said it committed to provide this one and a half hour Manapla–Ajuy–Manapla Port travel route.MPSA Port in Punta Salong, Manapla, Negros Occidental, is the final link...

Diesel prices are expected to go down on Tuesday, May 27.Diesel prices are forecasted to go down by P0.20 to P0.40 per liter, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said on Saturday.Gasoline will have no price change, it said.*