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Authorities found no explosives or suspicious items after conducting security inspections in several establishments in San Carlos City following an alleged bomb threat posted on social media.Personnel of the San Carlos City Police Station, Philippine Coast Guard San Carlos Canine Unit, and City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office inspected the San Carlos City Auditorium, VIAST Outsource Solutions, and Empire One BPO starting at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11.Police said the operation was launched after they monitored a post in the Facebook group “6127 Marketplace San Carlos City” allegedly threatening to plant bombs in schools and other establishments, including Empire One BPO and an ongoing job fair.A bomb detection dog from the Coast Guard assisted in checking t...

The collapsed cemetery wall in Bacolod.*BCCO photoThe combined effects of the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and Tropical Cyclone "Inday" have triggered widespread flooding across Negros Occidental, forcing residents to flee their homes, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 11.According to the report, a total of 2,787 individuals (946 families) from nine Local Government Units (LGUs) have been directly affected. As of Saturday morning, 41 evacuation centers were actively housing 2,575 displaced persons.The affected populations are from the cities of Bago, La Carlota, and Sipalay, as well as the municipalities of San Enrique, Pontevedra, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Isabela, and Hinoba-an.Property damage ...

Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez delivering his State of the District Address,*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe ₱418-million expansion of the Bacolod-Silay Airport passenger terminal will begin next month as part of an infrastructure push aimed at transforming Bacolod into a highly connected economic hub.Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez announced this during his State of the District Address at the SMX Convention Center Bacolod on Friday, July 10.The immediate terminal upgrade will significantly improve the airport experience by nearly tripling the pre-departure seating capacity from 500 to 1,480 passengers.Benitez said he is also continuing to advocate for the proposed ₱380-million runway expansion, ...

Two persons, including a businessman earlier tagged by law enforcers as a member of the New People’s Army (NPA), were separately found dead due to multiple gunshot wounds in Barangay 11 (Gawahon), Victorias City, on Friday, July 10.The fatalities were identified as Jerome Seballos, 57, and Alex Cunanan, 59, according to PCol. Dennis Wenceslao, Negros Occidental police director.Investigators are still determining the motive for the killings, Wenceslao said.Seballos' body was found in Sitio 5, Barangay 11, at 5:30 a.m., the  police director said.The police investigation disclosed that at around 5:30 a.m., several residents living near the scene of the incident heard multiple gunshots. Shortly after, two residents saw the lifeless body of Seballos lying near a motorcycle ...

Board Member Andrew Montelibano meets with the media on Friday*Board Member Andrew Montelibano said his being falsely linked to illegal online cockfighting (e-sabong) operations will not derail his plan to run for mayor of Murcia in 2028.During a press conference on Friday morning, July 10, Montelibano also announced that his running mate will be Murcia Councilor JR Gravino.Asked if he has the support of the third district congressman, Montelibano said, “For now, I cannot say yes, I cannot say no… As of today, I have the support of myself.”Montelibano held the press conference to air his side after police named him a "person of interest" following the discovery of an alleged multi-million peso illegal e-sabong operation on his property in Hacienda Pilar, Barangay Alicante, ...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (center) with Dr. Remia Aparri and Dr. Rene Parreño of BFAR at the stakeholders meeting on Friday.* Ronnie Baldonado photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said they were informed that the national government is negotiating with the United States to reopen its market to blue swimming crabs from the Philippines.A blue swimming crab stakeholders' consultative meeting was held at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City on Friday, July 10. Representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) promised to continue helping stakeholders regain access to the US market, Lacson also said.Lacson, in his speech at the stakeholders' meeting, said that the recent restriction on Philippine blue swimming crab exports to the...

The Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment urged the Bacolod City government to fully implement the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and adopt a zero-waste system following Victorias City’s withdrawal of its request to dispose of residual waste in Bacolod.In a statement issued Thursday, July 9, NICE called on the city government to strengthen waste reduction, segregation at source, recycling, and composting under Republic Act 9003.The group also urged Bacolod to reject waste incineration, which it described as a false solution to the city’s garbage problem.NICE said the withdrawal of Victorias City’s request should not end discussions on the condition and management of Bacolod’s sanitary landfill in Brgy. Felisa.It cited complaints from residents regardi...