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PIA VI Head and concurrent PIA NIR Head Cheryl Amor, Gov Eugenio Jose Lacson, Undersecretary Katherine Chloe De Castro - PIA Director General, ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs Chief of Reporters Jef Canoy, Provincial PIO head Charina Magallanes-Tan, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II (l-r) at the summit.*Richard Malihan photoHighlighting accurate information as vital as physical relief during emergencies, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose V. Lacson cautioned government communicators that speed must never compromise truth when lives are on the line.Speaking at the Information Officers’ Provincial Summit 2026 on Tuesday, September 15, at Roy’s Hotel in Bacolod City, Lacson stressed that public trust in government during a crisis hinges on delivering verified, reliable ...

Festival Director Rodney Mitz Ascalon and Christopher Mallo (right) at the press conference Tuesday.*Andrew Altarejos photoBeyond the colorful masks, performances and entertainment, MassKara Festival 2026 is positioning the celebration as a major economic platform for local entrepreneurs, food concessionaires, ambulant vendors, businesses and corporate partners.With designated food parks at the Plaza and Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), a 2.3-kilometer Lacson Tourism Strip, and dedicated lanes for ambulant vendors, this year’s festival is opening hundreds of opportunities for businesses of different sizes to participate in and benefit from the city’s biggest celebration, a press release from the organizers said Tuesday,  Sept. 15.Festival Director Rodney Mitz Asca...

Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya has appointed former Liga ng mga Barangay pPresident Mona Dia Jardin as one of his executive assistants effective  Tuesday,  September 15.As executive assistant, Jardin will be tasked with handling environmental concerns and special programs of the city, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.Jardin previously served as Punong Barangay of Barangay Felisa for six years. She was elected President of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Bacolod City from 2010 to 2013.She also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) and later as general manager of the water utility."Her extensive track record in public service and local governance will be a valuable addition for the smoo...

A van allegedly operating as an unauthorized public utility vehicle was apprehended by the Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region in Brgy. Singcang, Bacolod City, on Tuesday morning, Sept. 15.LTO-NIR said personnel of its Regional Law Enforcement Service intercepted the van at around 9 a.m. while it was carrying 10 passengers from Kabankalan City to Bacolod City.The agency said each passenger reportedly paid P230 for the trip.LTO-NIR classified the vehicle as colorum, or operating as public transportation without the required authority.OIC Regional Director Jeck Conlu said the agency will continue operations against unauthorized public transport operators.“We will continue to go after colorum operators. Our priority is the safety of every riding public,” Conlu ...

A 51-year-old tricycle driver died after his vehicle struck a sack of palay on the side of  the national highway in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental on Monday night, Sept. 14.The Hinoba-an police identified the victim only as alias “Generoso,” a resident of Brgy. Talacagay.Police said the road incident happened at around 8 p.m. in Purok Rose B, Brgy. Talacagay.Investigation showed that the victim was driving a Kawasaki Bajaj tricycle home when it collided with a sack of palay along the roadside, causing him to lose control of the vehicle and fall onto the concrete pavement.He sustained injuries to the head and was brought by the Hinoba-an Rescue Team to the Hinoba-an District Hospital, where he was later declared dead by the attending physician.Police said the victim h...

Two men were arrested while about P340,000 worth of suspected shabu was seized in a buy-bust operation in Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, on Monday afternoon, Sept. 14.The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office identified the suspects only as “Jazper,” 27, and “Paul,” 38,  of Purok Gumamela, Brgy. Antipolo.The operation was conducted at around 4:19 p.m. by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit together with personnel of the Pontevedra Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Unit and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Island Region.Police said the suspects allegedly sold a sachet of suspected shabu to an undercover officer during the operation.Authorities recovered six sachets containing about 30 grams of suspected shabu from Jazper, with an estimated...

The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are leading the re-appeal for the United States to reopen its market for the Philippines' blue swimming crabs, BFAR Negros Island Region OIC Director Rene Parreño said on Monday, Sept. 14.They are waiting for local government unit ordinances on bycatch monitoring to be attached to the appeal this September, he said.Bycatch refers to the incidental capture, injury, or death of marine wildlife during fishing.Parreño said Negros Occidental, Iloilo, and Palawan have already submitted their ordinances, and they are waiting for one from Bicol.On June 11, the United States stopped accepting blue swimming crabs from the Philippines due to the country's failure to comply with American marine mammal p...