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The Genesis Startup Event, a groundbreaking business plan competition aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and innovation among college students, will be held in Manapla, Negros Occidental, on March 26.The competition is a project of R&G Gustilo Foundation, in collaboration with North Negros College, Northland Resort Hotel, and the Dr. Ramon B. Gustilo Hospital.The event will be hosted at the Northland Resort in Manapla 2 p.m. on March 26.“The Genesis Startup Event will challenge participating students from North Negros College to present their visionary business ideas to a panel of seasoned business professionals. These industry experts will offer insightful feedback and select the most promising pitches,” a press release from R&G Gustilo Foundation said.The top thr...

The police arrested the second most wanted person in Negros Oriental for alleged rape in Brgy. Poblacion, Santa Catalina town, Tuesday, March 18.A 24-year-old man was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest, the police said.The warrant was issued by the presiding judge of Branch 33 of the Regional Trial Court in Dumaguete City on March 13 with no bail recommended.The operation was conducted by the Provincial Intelligence Unit and Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office together with Santa Catalina Municipal Police Station.The suspect is in police custody.*

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and former vice president Leni Robredo endorse the candidacy of Bam Aquino (second from left) and Kiko Pangilinan, who was represented by his brother Anthony (right), at the Paglaum People’s Rally.* Bam Aquino FB page photoFormer vice president Leni Robredo and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson called on Negrenses to vote for former senators Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan at the Paglaum People’s Rally in Bacolod City, Wednesday night, March 19.Robredo appealed to those who supported her when she ran for vice president and president to triple their efforts to ensure victory for Aquino and Pangilinan because “we need good people in the Senate”.Aquino and Pangilinan are very competent and good public ser...

The number of evacuees following an encounter between the 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers and New People’s Army rebels in Toboso, Negros Occidental, increased to 412 on Wednesday, March 19, Councilor Richard Jaojoco said.Residents began evacuating on Tuesday following an encounter that left three 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers injured in Sitio Bairan, Brgy General Luna in Toboso, Negros Occidental.Classes at all levels in Barangay General Luna and Tabun-ac Elementary School in Barangay Tabun-ac, Toboso, will remain suspended on Thursday to ensure the safety of learners and school personnel from the on-going armed encounter, Mayor Madonnah Jaojoco said.The Army seized a M-16 assault rifle, .38 caliber revolver, assorted ammunition and subversive documents with high intelligen...

Typhoid related deaths in Negros Occidental this year have increased to three, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday, Marh 19.There have been 344 typhoid fever cases reported as of March 15, or a 91.11 percent increase compared to the same period last year, a Provincial Health Office report submitted to Lacson showed.Kabankalan City has the highest number of typhoid fever cases at 78.Water is believed to be the source of the typhoid fever cases, Lacson said.The public continues to be advised, especially in the affected areas, to boil their drinking water to prevent the spread of the disease.“Communities should be extra careful with sources of water,” Lacson said.Typhoid is caused by contaminated food and water.*

Two linemen of the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) were injured when their mobile bus hit a cement wall and concrete post along the highway in Purok Sampaguita, Brgy. Binicuil, Kabankalan City, Tuesday afternoon, March 18.Injured were Ralph Vincent Antipatia, 31, driver of the bus and a resident of Brgy. San Pedro, Binalbagan, and Joemarie Oyos, 43, of Brgy. Andalauan, Ilog, a police report said.Antipatia was driving NOCECO’s mobile bus going to Kabankalan proper when he suddenly lost control of the vehicle, the report said.The driver and his passenger sustained injuries in different parts of their bodies.*

The police arrested five persons and seized suspected shabu worth P238,000 in a buy-bust operation in Purok 2, Brgy. 6, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, March 18.Arrested were alias “Sarge”, 34, of Mabinay, Negros Oriental; “Carlo”, 37, of Brgy. Dancalan, Ilog, Negros Occidental; and “Ed”, 32, of Brgy. Camingawan, “Bernie”, 34, of Brgy. 6, and “Jireh”, 30, of Brgy. Hilamonan in Kabankalan City.The suspects are in police custody, while the seized drugs were brought to the Neg. Occ. Provincial Forensic Unit for examination.*

The Bacolod City Police Office will deploy about 800 policemen during election day on May 12, Col. Joeresty Coronica, city police director, said.Coronica said that there are 48 polling precincts in the city and five policemen will be deployed per precinct, bringing the number to 883.He said that there might be changes in the number of policemen to be deployed during the elections as they are still waiting for a directive from the Police Regional Office-6 for augmentation.The city police director also assured that emergency response teams will also be deployed on May 12.*

Victorias City officially kicked off its 27th Kadalag-an Festival with a grand civic-military parade and opening ceremony at the Victorias City Public Plaza on Wednesday, March 19.“Two years ago, we thought we had the grandest celebration of the festival yet. The year after that, we pushed the notch even higher. But this year, we made sure Victoriasanons will witness the biggest Kadalag-an ever,” Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez declared in his opening message.A significant part of the ceremony was the launch of Victorias City’s official tourism branding, “Choose Your Own Adventure in Victorias”, a press release from Victorias City said.This new tagline aims to position the city as a diverse tourism hub, offering rich cultural heritage, eco-tourism experiences, and leisure activitie...

Rep. Rodante Marcoleta at a press conference in Bacolod City on Wednesday*Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (SAGIP Party-list) called the arrest of  former president Rodrigo Duterte  "the   craziest and most anomalous thing that happened to this country". Marcoleta,  who is running for senator,  was in Bacolod  City on Wednesday,  March 19.Marcoleta said he is running as an independent but has been adopted by the Partido Federal ng Maharlika, People's Reform Party and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino.He claimed that the arrest and the turnover of Duterte to the International Criminal Court in the Hauge was illegal since  the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC. There was also no actual presence of International Criminal Police Organi...