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Vice Governor Jeffery Ferrer and Pulupandan Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña cut the ribbon at the inauguration of the port.*The Pulupandan Port in Negros Occidental has resumed full operations under the management of the Negros Coastal Terminal Inc. (NCTI).Vice Governor Jeffery Ferrer and Pulupandan Mayor Miguel Peña led the cutting of the ribbon at the port inauguration Tuesday, April 8.The NCTI won the concession to operate the port for the next 15 years, Richie Villasana, Philippine Ports Authority Division Manager, said.The PPA will be their partner on the government side, he said.They are expecting local and international cargo vessels to dock at the port, Villasana said.The new management will be bringing in bigger equipment for loading operations and cargo handling...

The seized drugs in Calatrava.*PDEA photoPhilippine Drug Enforcement Agency agents arrested a 23-year-old man and seized suspected shabu worth P13.6 million in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Bantayanon, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, Monday night, April 7.Arrested was alias “Kent”, 23, of Brgy. Suba, Calatrava.Recovered from him were two kilos of suspected shabu with an estimated street drug price of P13.6M, and boodle money worth P2.1M, the PDEA said.The suspect is now under the custody of the PDEA-Western Visayas and the seized drugs were brought to the PDEA-VI forensics laboratory for examination, it added.*

Vehicles were covered in ash from Kanlaon Volcano’s eruption in La Carlota City on Tuesday.* Romeo Subaldo photoMore than P157-million in assistance and funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ready for the needs of local government units (LGUs) for families affected by Kanlaon Volcano’ s eruption on Tuesday, April 8.This includes 147,701 prepositioned family food packs and 27,864 non-food items and the agency's P3-million standby fund, the DSWD assured.There have been 7,900 families or 24,891 individuals in Negros Occidental affected by Kanlaon’s eruption since December 9, the DSWD said.More than 1,766 families or 5,657 individuals are temporarily staying in 14 evacuation centers in the province, and 2,553 families or 8,302 individuals are te...

Guards left to secure the ash-hit SRA research facility in La Granja, La Castellana.*The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) closed its research facility in La Granja, La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, and evacuated its employees following the eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Tuesday morning, April 8.“We activated our SRA Disaster Response Team headed by SRA Board Member David Sanson and we are on alert, particularly in ensuring the safety of our employees,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.He ordered the evacuation of the employees at the La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center, with a skeleton crew left behind to secure it, Azcona said.All the SRA vehicles are ready to deploy when requested by the local government units, he added.“We have regr...

A laborer died and his co-worker was injured when they were electrocuted while loading sugarcane on a truck in Hacienda Bayabas 1, Brgy. Daga, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, at about 10 a.m. Monday, April 7.Alias “Mark”, 53, died and his companion, alias “Rick”, was injured, the police reported.The two were on top of the truck when a mechanized cane loader hit a wire connected to a Northern Negros Electric Cooperative post causing the electrocution, the police reported.They were brought to Cadiz City Emergency Clinic and transferred to the St. Ann Medical Hospital for further medical treatment.Mark was declared dead on arrival, while Rick is now in stable condition, the police said.*

Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer*Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said permanent relocation sites for families affected by eruptions at Kanlaon Volcano should be established.Ferrer, who was reacting to the volcano’ renewed eruption on Tuesday, April 8, said that what are currently in place are band aid solutions.Disaster funds of the local governments are exhausted, although the national government is helping, he said.Life in evacuation centers is not normal for the displaced residents, he said.That is why it would be better if permanent relocation sites are considered, he said.The provincial government will not abandon the evacuees, its feeding program will continue, he also assured.*

An 8-year-old boy found a hand grenade along the highway in Sitio Libon, Brgy. Tuyom, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, April 6.Alias “Alona”, 36, a farmer and aunt of the child, immediately reported the incident to the police.The Cauayan Police Station coordinated with the Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team of the Philippine Army to retrieve the grenade.The 15th Infantry Battalion examined the explosive and turned it over to the Provincial EOD for further verification, the police said.*

Board Member Anthony Dennis “Anton” Occeño and Isabela mayoral candidate Juan Miguel Montilla (right)*Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is endorsing the candidacy of Negros Occidental Board Member Anthony Dennis “Anton” Occeño of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) for congressman of the 5th District of Negros Occidental.Occeño is running against incumbent Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo of the Lakas-CMD.Lacson is also supporting Isabela mayoral candidate Juan Miguel Montilla of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) who is running against Miguel Yulo (Lakas-CMD), the son of Rep. Yulo.Lacson said he recently endorsed Occeño following the request of the South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., PFP and League of Provinces of the Philippines president.In Himamaylan City, since the ...

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman (center) with Undersecretaries Wilford Will Wong and Goddes Hope Libiran, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, and DHSUD-Western Visayas Regional Director Eva Maria Marfil (l-r) during the symbolic inauguration at the Capitol.* Capitol PIO photoDepartment of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman led the symbolic inauguration of the P10,022,718 project to upgrade and redevelop the Mambukal Resort and Wildlife Sanctuary recreational trail in Murcia, Negros Occidental, on Monday afternoon, April 7.She was joined by Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-Western Visayas Regional Director Eva Maria Marfil and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II, on behalf of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, at the rites hel...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson does not believe the US tariff will affect the sugar industry in Negros.* Nic Ledesma photoThe 17 percent tariff imposed by the United States on products from the Philippines is no cause for alarm, it will have no major effect on Negros Occidental’s economy because it is not an export producing province, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, April 7.The Philippine agricultural products most commonly exported to the United States are corn and soybeans, he said.The production of those crops in Negros Occidental are not even enough for the consumption of Negrosanons, he said.He said the export of sugar to fill the Philippines’ share of the US quota is also not expected to affect the local economy.“In most cases our sugar production is just eno...