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Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson receives his RPOC appointment papers from NIR DILG Regional Director Lailyn Ortiz (center) and OIC-Assistant Regional Director Teodora Sumagaysay.*President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson the first chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) of the newly created Negros Island Region (NIR).Lacson received his appointment papers from the Regional Director Lailyn Ortiz of the NIR Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and her OIC-Assistant Regional Director Teodora Sumagaysay at the Capitol in Bacolod City on Thursday morning.The governor previously headed the RPOC-Western Visayas.DILG Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla called him over a month ago to inform him of his appoi...

A man who was running for town councilor died after his tricycle collided with a truck in Hacienda Carmenchita, Brgy. Don Salvador Benedicto, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, April 8.John Espinosa, 54, of Brgy. Antipolo in Pontevedra died when his tricycle bumped a truck driven by Jose Malicse, 41, of Brgy. La Granja, La Carlota City.The victim came from a campaign sortie in the town proper and was on his way home, the police said.However, his tricycle allegedly went out of its lane causing him to bump the truck.The victim was brought to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.The police are waiting for the decision of the victim’s family whether to file a case against the truck driver or agree to a settlement.*

The Haguimit Hilltop Resort.* Brgy Haguimit FB page photo Eleven tourism sites in La Castellana and La Carlota City have temporarily closed following Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption, Negros Occidental provincial tourism officer Cheryl Decena said Thursday, April 10.Trekking has also been halted at the Magon-on Falls in San Carlos City, she said. Closed in La Carlota City are the Guintubdan Pavilion since the first Kanlaon eruption in June and Camp Sitio Maya since Dec. 9 last year, and the Haguimit Hilltop Resort, Decena said.The establishments closed in La Castellana are the Tambayan sa Calapnagan, Acantilado, Fabricanus Village, Natures View Café, Domeino Suites, Highland Vista Resort, La Blanca Resort and 13th Café, Decena added.She said the lists of closed establishm...

The Bacolod City Drug Enforcement Unit arrested a high-value drug personality and seized suspected shabu worth P510,000 in a buy-bust operation in Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod City, Wednesday night, April 9.Arrested was alias “Tata” who was temporarily residing in Purok Sigay, the police said.The police said they seized 75 grams of suspected shabu from “Tata”.The suspect is now under police custody and will be charged for violation of the Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*

Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo campaigning in Barangay Masulog, La Castellana.*Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District) said on Thursday, April 10, that he is thanking Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for endorsing his opponent for the fifth congressional seat because it has awakened the determination of his supporters to campaign even harder for him.Lacson on Monday said he is endorsing the candidacy of Negros Occidental Board Member Anthony Dennis “Anton” Occeño of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) for representative of the 5th District of Negros Occidental.Yulo said maybe the people feel sorry for him because now they are even more determined to campaign for him.The people have already felt his brand of service in the last three years, Yulo said.Meanwhile, L...

Negrense chef Nico de Asis Millanes at the Raffles Courtyard.*Celebrating the vibrant and diverse flavors of Southeast Asia, the Raffles Hotel Singapore, in collaboration with Makansutra’s K.F. Seetoh, is featuring Negrense chef Nico de Asis Millanes in the relaunch of its Southeast Asia Regional Hawker Series.The week-long culinary event started on Monday and will run until Sunday, April 13, at the Raffles Courtyard.Chef Nico, a Bacolodnon and a graduate of the Enderun Colleges’ École Ducasse pioneer batch, brings to Singapore his signature take on Kansi - a hearty and soulful Negrense beef shank soup traditionally slow-cooked with jackfruit or langka and the uniquely tangy batwan, a fruit endemic to the Negros and Panay Islands.Chef Nico's “kansi”*Known for his refine...

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has extended over P132 million worth of humanitarian aid to families and individuals affected by the continuing restiveness of Mt. Kanlaon.Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said on Thursday, April 10, that the aid covers 107,825 family food packs (FFPs) and 24,990 non-food items that have been augmented to local government units (LGUs) since the Dec. 9 eruption, as well as P28 million in financial assistance under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).The DSWD also provided over 3,500 other food items such as potable water and hot meals.Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, told reporters that the agency is striving to address "food-pack fatigue...

Carbin Reef in Sagay City is a famous tourist destination in Negros Occidental*Ronald Villar photoNegros Occidental has generated P7.925 billion in tourist receipts as average visitor arrivals increased by 27.25 percent in 2024, the Provincial Tourism Division said Thursday, April 10.Based on the reports submitted by city and municipal tourism offices, the province welcomed 3.236 million excursionists or same-day visitors from January to December last year.These comprised 3.173 million domestic guests and 63,164 foreign visitors.Negros Occidental also hosted 883,514 overnight tourists, including 3,387 foreign visitors and 860,127 domestic travelers.“These figures reflect the dedication of the local government units, tourism partners and stakeholders, partner-agencies, a...

Officials of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative attend a forum on Thursday to discuss preparations for the May 12 polls.*PNA/Mary Judaline Flores Partlow photoOfficials of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and the Negros Oriental II Electric Cooperative (NORECO II) assured on Thursday, April 10, stable and uninterrupted power supply during the May 12 midterm polls.Engineer Felix Vidaure of NGCP said at a Kapihan sa PIA forum that no manual load shedding is expected during the election period following the successful reconductoring of the 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Amlan.The recent upgrades, which included four weekends of planned power outages, now allow the line to carry a larger lo...

A Victorias City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office water tanker on Wednesday helps clear La Carlota City’s roads of ash spewed by Kanlaon Volcano.* OCD Western Visayas photo The grassfire near Kanlaon Volcano’s crater that was ignited during its eruption on Tuesday was extinguished by rain at 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, but work was still ongoing to clear numerous areas of ashfall.The rain may have helped put out the blaze in the volcano’s danger zone, which firefighters could not reach, Mari-Andylene Quintia, resident volcanologist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in La Carlota City, said.The fire was ignited by the superheated ballistic projectiles, some as big as a small house, which were thrown out of the crater during Kanlaon’s explosive...