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Three men were arrested while more than P1 million worth of suspected shabu was seized in two separate buy-bust operations in Bacolod City on Tuesday night, Sept. 8.The Bacolod police  said the two operations yielded suspected shabu with a combined estimated drug price of P1.088 million.The larger seizure was recorded at around 10 p.m. in Purok Magtiayon, Brgy. 10, where personnel of the City Drug Enforcement Unit arrested alias “Dan,” 33, a resident of the area.Police classified the suspect as a high-value individual.Authorities recovered eight heat-sealed sachets and one knot-tied plastic bag containing suspected shabu, along with the buy-bust money and other non-drug items.The suspected illegal drugs seized in the operation were valued at P1.02 million, the poli...

Five entries of the Bacolod City tourism entries were named finalists for the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) Pearl Awards 2026 under the Highly Urbanized City category.They will advance to the Final Panel Interview for the annual awards, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said Wednesday, Sept. 9.The city's finalist entries are the Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival 2025: Fire and Fusion for Best Event Hosting (Local); Bacolod's MassKara Festival 2025 for Best Tourism Event: Cultural Festival; MassKaralympics 2025 for Best Sports Tourism Event; Bacolod City Slow Food Terra Madre Asia and Pacific for Best Event Hosting (International); and Bacolod City: Your Pocket Guide to Experience the City of Smiles for Best Tourism Promotions: Bro...

A 56-year-old motorcycle rider died after his motorcycle hit a stone and crashed into a center island along Araneta Street in Brgy. Pahanocoy, Bacolod City on Tuesday night, Sept. 8.The Bacolod Traffic Enforcement Unit identified the victim as Wilson.Police said he was driving a Honda CRF150 northbound along Araneta Street when the incident happened at around 7:02 p.m. in front of C Cube Construction.Initial investigation showed that the motorcycle struck a stone on the road, causing the rider to lose control.The motorcycle then hit the center island before Rebanez was thrown onto the road.He sustained injuries, including to the head, and was declared dead at the scene by Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office responders.The motorcycle was tempor...

An official of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) on Tuesday, Sept. 8,  vowed continued coordination with other energy sector stakeholders to help address low capacity in the Visayas grid.This comes as the Visayas grid continues to suffer from yellow and red alerts due to low supply that hinders it from meeting contingency requirements, consumer demand, and regulatory requirements.As of Tuesday, the Visayas grid recorded 97 yellow and 34 red alerts since the start of the year, while the Mindanao grid recorded 13 yellow and four red alerts. NGCP spokesperson lawyer Cynthia Alabanza said the Department of Energy (DOE) has tasked the transmission grid operator with tapping ancillary services, or battery facilities, to help boost capacity in the trans...

Participants in the parade of food.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe 26th Negros Occidental Tourism Week kicked off on Tuesday, Sept. 8, with a food parade showcasing the culinary traditions of the province's towns and cities at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City.The weeklong celebration, running until Saturday, Sept. 12, aims to promote the diverse culture, heritage, local products, and creativity of the province’s 32 local government units (LGUs), Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said in his speechAligned with the 2026 World Tourism Day theme, “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” this year's celebration  highlights the role of digital innovation and technology in enhancing visitor experiences and destination development, Di...

Performers at the opening of the 26th Tourism Week at the Capitol Tuesday morning.*Richard Malihan photoNegros Occidental recorded a significant surge in tourism, reaching over 2 million arrivals in the first two quarters of 2026 alone — putting the province on pace to  surpass its 2025 total of 3 million visitors.Raymond Alunan, Provincial Tourism Division officer-in-charge, announced the strong growth  at the launch of the province's 26th Tourism Week  at the Capitol  in Bacolod City on Tuesday, Sept. 8.Alunan also noted that the mid-year milestone included 436,000 overnight tourists.Citing the contribution of  the tourism officers provincewide to this growth,  Alunan urged them  to maintain diligent reporting, noting that accurate data ...

A 57-year-old farmer was found dead in a canal, with police looking into possible electrocution while he was using an improvised electric fishing device in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Monday morning, Sept. 7.The Kabankalan City police  identified the victim only as alias “Aldren,” a resident of Sitio Canlipot, Brgy. Linao.Police said the victim’s brother began searching for him after the family was informed that he had failed to return home.The victim was later found lying face down in a canal at around 6:30 a.m., still holding an electric fishing rod.PolicePolice investigation showed that Aldren had gone fishing at a nearby canal the previous day using an improvised electrical fishing apparatus.He reportedly returned home with his catch at around 11:30 ...