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The Senate tackled House Bill No. 9805 that aims to grant the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) a franchise to take over the power distribution system in Bacolod, Silay, Talisay and Bago cities and the municipalities of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto from Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO), on Wednesday, April 8.  Senator Grace Poe, who sponsored the bill, underscored the significant impact of the proposed franchise, emphasizing a projected P2.1 billion initial investment in Capital expenditures (CapEx) by Negros Power over the next five years, a press released from NEPC said.  She also highlighted the economic growth potential in the covered areas, affirming that consumers can expect stable rates and Negros Power's commitment to efficient operation and affor...

Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria shows a plan of the proposed Tamlang Valley development project.*Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA photoNegros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria on Wednesday, May 8, vowed to relentlessly pursue the Tamlang Valley development project even if it means having to personally present it to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. while securing funds elsewhere for its realization.In a press conference, Sagarbarria expressed his disappointment over the removal of the Tamlang Valley-Sustainable Agriculture for Growth and Resiliency (TV-SAGR) project from the top three priority programs in Central Visayas to be presented to the President.The governor recently received a letter from the National Economic Development Authority in Region 7 (NEDA 7) informing him that ...

Photo from Bishop Alminaza FBSan Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza has outlined a series of actions for his congregation “to actively pursue peace and community healing in response to the ongoing unrest on Negros Island”.The call to action is contained in a pastoral letter titled "Embracing Our Christian Duty to Work for Integral Peace" to be read in all anticipated and Ascension Sunday Masses, Alminaza said.Alminaza said he is encouraging the diocese to engage in various peace-building activities.Key initiatives include facilitating dialogs within parishes and community groups to address local tensions, advocating for policies that protect individuals affected by violence and hunger, and extending support through community service and charitable works, a press release from th...

The P25 million Research, Innovation, and Extension Hub*The Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) officials inaugurated the P25 million two-story Research, Innovation, and Extension (RIE) Hub at their Talisay City campus on Thursday, May 9.Commissioner Marita Canapi of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) led the turnover and inauguration with CHMSU President Norberto Mangulabnan, university executives, Board of Regents representatives, faculty and staff, alumni, and stakeholders, as the university celebrated its 2nd University Foundation Week.Canapi congratulated CHMSU for its achievement, noting that not all state universities and colleges (SUCs) are granted similar projects by the national government and CHED.“I urge the university community to view the...

Negros Occidental Barangay League President Richard Julius Sablan, Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante, Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, singer Sitti, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, and VMC Chairman Wilson Young (l-r)*.Touted as the country’s biggest sugar mill and refinery, and one of the largest in Southeast Asia, the Victorias Milling Company celebrated its 105th year anniversary on Tuesday, May 7, by thanking its employees and partners through the years.It also affirmed its commitment to embrace technology, trends and innovation to sustain growth in a rapidly evolving sugar industry, a press release from the firm said Thursday.VMC President Linley Retirado thanked the men and women of VMC in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, for their dedication and ...

Ther groundbreaking of the center in Sagay City.*A P2 million Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Training Center will soon rise in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, through the assistance of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Western Visayas.The principal recipients are 62 members of the Menakalaw Farmer Beneficiaries Association (MEFABA) based in Barangay Rizal, which serves as the AMIA Village Sagay.City Agriculturist Julie Delima said in an interview on Thursday that the facility would become an income-generating project of MEFABA and open for use by farmers from other associations and interested individuals for a minimal fee.“The center will showcase the farmers’ innovative and climate-resilient farming technologies,” she added.The associatio...

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council headed by Mayor Renato Gustilo met on Monday to recommend the declaration of a state of calamity.*San Carlos LGU photo San Carlos City in Negros Occidental is now under a state of calamity.  The San Carlos Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the recommendation of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) headed by Mayor Renato Gustilo on Monday, Joe Recalex Alingasa Jr., City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, said Wednesday, May 8. The CDRRMC unanimously approved a resolution on Monday recommending the SP declaration of a state of calamity because of the “devastating and widespread impacts of the drought” brought on by the El Niño phenomenon on San Carlos City.The City A...

Suspended Tangub Barangay Captain Noli Villarosa*Barangay Captain Noli Villarosa of Tangub, Bacolod City, will file a motion for reconsideration to his six-month suspension by the Ombudsman, his lawyer Dindo Ramos said on Wednesday, May 8.If the Ombudsman denies his motion for reconsideration they will file a petition for certiorari before the Court of Appeals because his client is innocent of the charges lodged against him, Ramos said. The Department of the Interior and Local Government served Villarosa’s suspension order on Monday. The suspension stemmed from a complaint filed by Kagawad   Katrina Joan Sonota and Dindo Amadeo against Villarosa in July 2022 for conduct unbecoming of a public official and grave misconduct. They alleged that Vill...

The Silay City drug bust*A school watchman was arrested and P115,600 worth of suspected shabu was seized in a buy-bust operation at Hacienda Hinicayan, Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay City, Negros Occidental, 1:52 p.m.  Wednesday, May 8, the police reported. Arrested was Bryan Celestial, 37, a job order employee of the Silay City government working  as a  watchman at the  Hinicayan Elementary School. Seized from him were eight heat-sealed sachets of suspected shabu weighing 17 grams and an improvised tooter, the police said. The recovered shabu was brought to the Police Provincial Forensic Unit, while the suspect is detained at the Silay City Police Station.*