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Mayor Greg Gasataya announced on Monday, May 4, that the Bacolod City government will provide free school bags and supplies to public school students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 ahead of the upcoming school year.Students from Grade 7 to Grade 12 will also receive free school bags, along with PE uniforms, he said.Gasataya said that despite the ongoing fuel crisis, the city remains committed to supporting students and easing the financial burden on families before classes begin in June.“Please consider this not as an expense from the city government. For us, this is an investment in the future of the youth of Bacolod City. That’s why we are allocating enough resources to make it easier for students, so, there will be no reason for them not to stay in school,” he said.More...

A 55-year-old man was arrested in a buy-bust operation that led to the seizure of more than P171,000 worth of suspected shabu in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, May 2.The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region identified the suspect as alias “Jack,” an electronic technician and resident of Brgy. 7, Victorias City.Police said the suspect was arrested at around 9:46 p.m. at Block 5, Fermont Village, following surveillance and validation of reports linking him to illegal drug activities.Seized from the suspect were 10 heat-sealed sachets containing suspected shabu weighing about 25.2 grams, including the buy-bust item, with an estimated value of P171,360.Authorities also recovered a P500 bill used as marked money and other non-drug items.Police said th...

The wooden stick used to kill the victim.*A 22-year-old man died after he was mauled by a companion following a drinking session in Calatrava, Negros Occidental, the police reported om Monday, May 4.The victim, identified as Edcel, was found lifeless in Sitio Agtatahor II, Brgy. Macasilao, after the incident late Saturday night.Initial investigation showed that the victim and the 19-year-old suspect, identified as alias “April,” had been drinking beside a river before heading home when a heated argument broke out.Authorities said the altercation escalated into a fistfight, during which the suspect allegedly used a wooden stick embedded with nails and repeatedly struck the victim on the head.The victim sustained severe injuries and was left at the scene, while the suspec...

Mayor Greg Gasataya met with National Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Games 2026 President Mark Molina with PRISAA-NIR Executive Director Jake Mercado, together with key city department heads, Monday, to finalize preparations for the upcoming national competitions in Bacolod City.* BCCO photoBacolod City will host more than 12,000 delegates from 17 regions during the 2026 National Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA) Games starting Saturday, May 9, until May 16.On Monday, Mayor Greg Gasataya discussed the final preparations for the sports, cultural and academic competitions with National PRISAA executive director Jake Mercado and PRISAA-Negros Island Region coordinator Mark Molina.In a statement, Molina acknowledged the “overwhelming" support they hav...

Federation of Irrigators’ Association of Central Negros-Bago River Irrigation System president Pedro Limpangog (center, in light blue shirt) leads rice farmers in witnessing the opening of the South District dam.*The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is aiming to irrigate 14,024 hectares of rice lands in its two service areas in Negros Occidental for 2026.Data from the Negros Occidental Irrigation Management Office (NIA-NOIMO) as of Monday, May 4, showed some 12,650 hectares cover the service area for the Bago River Irrigation System (BRIS) in Bago City and 1,373 hectares for the Pangiplan River Irrigation System (PRIS) in Himamaylan City.The BRIS serves 8,014 farmer-beneficiaries organized into 44 irrigators' associations (IAs) while the PRIS serves 1,443 farmer-benefi...

A pump attendant fills a delivery truck at a gas station*PNA photo by Yancy LimAfter several weeks of rollback, domestic oil prices are set to rise anew this week, with increases of as much as PHP2.66 per liter.Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin said in an online briefing Monday that gasoline prices will increase by up to PHP2.21/liter and diesel by as much as PHP2.66/liter on Tuesday, May 5.Kerosene prices, however, will drop by as much as PHP3.53/liter.Garin said oil prices are “steadying at a certain pace,” partly due to foreign exchange movements and changes in freight and insurance costs.“We cannot give an assurance that the price will go down or go up, but we are only explaining this so that people know why the price is like that,” she said.Gari...

Alias “Kadong”, seated, and the items seized from him*A man arrested in a gun buy-bust operation allegedly admitted to barangay officials that he was behind the death of a 13-year-old girl found in a sugarcane field in Candoni, Negros Occidental, police said.Police identified the suspect as alias “Kadong,” 41, a laborer and resident of Candoni.He was arrested in a buy-bust operation for the sale of a .38 caliber revolver (homemade) without serial number to a police poseur buyer at his residence in Purok Pag-ulinganan, Barangay Haba, Candoni, at 7:30 p.m. Friday,   May 1,  the police said.Recovered from him were the .38  caliber revolver with two rounds of ammunition, and the buy bust money, police said.Candoni acting police chief, PCapt. Leonel Adolacion, said the...

A coalition of more than 30 civil society organizations in Negros are calling on the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front to end hostilities and resume peace negotiations.The civil society groups issued the unified call Saturday, May 2, following the encounters between the 79th Infantry Battalion and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso.The call was issued despite Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s statement that there would be no resumption of peace talks with the communist rebels.In a joint statement titled "When Lives Are Needlessly Lost, Something Dies in All of Us", the groups expressed profound grief over the April 19 tragedy, which claimed the lives of nine alleged civilians or non-combatants and ...

Winning 6/42 Lotto numbers on May 2*A bettor from Negros Occidental hit Saturday night’s PHP35.4 million Lotto 6/42 jackpot.In an advisory on Sunday, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) said the winner from Bacolod City guessed the winning combination 22-34-42-19-03-25.The winner has one year to claim the PHP35,467,492.71 prize at the PCSO main office in Mandaluyong City.Under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law, lotto winnings worth more than PHP10,000 are subject to a 20-percent tax.Meanwhile, 40 other bettors won PHP 27,500 each for guessing five out of the six winning digits; 2,413 won PHP414.42 each for four correct digits; and 27,974 will settle for PHP20 each for three correct digits.The 6/42 Lotto is drawn every Tuesday, Thursday a...

Alexandria Colmenares*Negros Occidental’s Alexandria Colmenares finished as a Top 15 finalist at the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 coronation night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday, May 2.Bea Millan-Windorski of La Union was crowned Miss Universe Philippines 2026.In a statement on her Facebook page, Colmenares said that reaching the Top 15 as a first-timer on the national stage was no small feat.Colmenares did not advance to the top 7, where the finalists were asked with one final question to determine the winner.“I have always stood for representation. And in representing my province, I represent my people, their spirit, their pride, their craft,” she said.The selection committee included actress Jennylyn Mercado, Crystal Jacinto, Carlos Garcia Candal, Mis...