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Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay*Manila Police District Director Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay has been appointed the new officer-in-charge of the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR).Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil appointed Ibay to head the newly created PRO-NIR on Tuesday.Ibay’s appointment will take effect on Thursday, April 10, Col. Rainerio de Chavez, Negros Occidental police director, said.The PNP activated the PRO-NIR on March 27.Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky, Western Visayas police regional director, who was designated as the first OIC of the PRO-NIR in a concurrent capacity, will be replaced by Ibay.Ibay graduated from the Philippine National Police Academy Class of 1996 with a Degree in Public Safety.He was former ...

The arrested drug suspect in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.*NOPPO photoThe police arrested a high-value drug personality and seized suspected shabu worth P27.2 million in a buy-bust operation in Purok 6, Brgy. Maslog, Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Wednesday morning, April 9.Arrested was Elgin Caday Rodriguez, 50, a resident of Barangay 2 in Bais City.Seized from him were four kilograms of suspected shabu, the police said.The operation was conducted by the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit and Intelligence Unit along with operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.The suspect is now detained and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.Investigation is ongoing ...

Negros Occidental provincial government water filtration trucks provided potable water to La Carlota City and La Castellana residents whose water sources were affected by Kanlaon’s eruption.*The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) research facility in La Granja, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, will resume operations on Thursday after closing down on Tuesday, April 8, following Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption.The La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center (LGAREC) was hit by ash fall during Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption.“First order of the day will be to assess the facility, check on the laboratories and the nursery,” Ma. Lourdes C. Almodiente, Chief Agriculturist and LGAREC officer in charge, said.“We will also deploy all field workers to assess neighboring sugar la...

The ash-hit roads after the eruption on Tuesday* Bol Golvio photoThe Department of Tourism (DOT) on Wednesday, April 9, said tourism activities in areas near Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental are suspended to ensure the safety of both residents and tourists.In an advisory, the DOT said it is now closely coordinating with involved local government units (LGUs) to “prioritize” the safety and well-being of individuals affected by the April 8 explosive eruption of Mt. Kanlaon through monitoring and immediate response.“All tourism activities near Mt. Kanlaon, including treks and visits to nearby destinations such as La Carlota City, Bago City, La Castellana, and other surrounding areas in Negros Occidental, have been temporarily suspended,” it said.Other areas experiencing ashfa...

Negros Power COO Bernard Bailey del Castillo, Negros Power President/CEO Roel Z. Castro, Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria and Bacolod City Election Officer Revo Sorbito (l-r) at the MOA signing rites.*The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Monday, April 7, to ensure stable and uninterrupted power supply during the upcoming 2025 National and Local Elections.The signing held at the Negros Power headquarters was attended by Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee M. Ananoria and Negros Power President and CEO Roel Z. Castro.Under the agreement, COMELEC and Negros Power committed to a joint effort to uphold the integrity of the electo...

Personnel of the Negros Oriental police in Camp Fernandez, Sibulan town, prepare to secure the upcoming Holy Week activities starting this weekend. *PNA/Mary Judaline Flores Partlow photoThe Negros Oriental police is preparing to fully deploy its personnel ahead of Holy Week, with heightened security measures starting Palm Sunday on April 13.Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), said they are awaiting final orders for the implementation of Oplan Semana Santa from higher authorities.“We anticipate being placed under full alert status in the coming days, which would mean all personnel will be on duty unless there are exceptional circumstances,” Polinar said on Wednesday, April 9.Police officers will be stationed at high-...

Negros Oriental Governor Manuel Sagarbarria led the groundbreaking ceremonies for the P100 million construction and improvement of the Bais District Hospital in Bais City, on Tuesday, April 8.Sagarbarria along with city and provincial officials led the groundbreaking of the hospital that will feature a maternity ward, dietary department, laundry room, and doctors and nurses’ dormitory.Prior to the groundbreaking, the governor already approved and signed the design and build plan of the project.Sagarbarria, in his speech, said the project is part of his administration’s dream to expand the health services in the province.The event was also attended by Bais City Mayor Luigi Goñi, Board Member Nyrth Christian Degamo, former Board Member Erwin Macias, Bais District Hospital Chi...

Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center vocational school administrator Ma. Cristina Orbecido and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II*The provincial government will set up an artificial intelligence (AI) education training hub at the soon-to-open new campus of the Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) in Talisay City.Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said on Wednesday, April 9, that the province will pioneer the program at the new campus, and cascade it in every district as part of the innovative and transformative education agenda of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.“NOLITC will be the hub for AI training for teachers and students in the province,” he said .Ma. Cristina Orbecido, NOLITC vocational school admi...

About P1.6 million worth of fertilizer was distributed to 531 farmers under the National Rice Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, on Tuesday, April 8.The DA together with the Municipal Agriculture Office of La Libertad distributed the fertilizer to the farmers at the La Libertad Convention Center.The farmers who registered as members of the Registry System for the Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) benefitted from the program, a press release from the DA said.The DA distributed inorganic and bio-fertilizer to the farmers through the fertilizer discount voucher distribution.The distributed of fertilizer is expected to cover about 563 hectares of rice farms in La Libertad, the press release also said.It added that the program w...

Kanlaon Volcano erupting at 5:51 a.m. Tuesday, April 8.*Phivolcs photoThe ground rumbled and Kanlaon Volcano suddenly spewed a gray voluminous plume above its crater causing the sky to turn dark at 5:51 a.m. Tuesday, April 8.Pockets of what looked like small fires were also seen on the side of the volcano, La Castellana Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan said.Mangilimutan witnessed the eruption Tuesday morning from the second floor of a building in Barangay Cabacungan, La Castellana.The mayor said it was a scary site as the wind blew the ash mostly in the direction of La Carlota City, which was the worst hit.La Castellana residents within the 6 kilometer danger zone luckily remain in evacuation  centers away from harm, she said.What appeared to be small fires on...