Top Stories

Many Negrenses drive up to Don Salvador Benedicto on weekends.*Ronnie Baldonado photoNegros Occidental’s tourism industry and the upcoming Panaad sa Negros Festival are expected to be affected by the rising fuel prices, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday, March 18.Domestic tourism will be affected with less people traveling because of the rise in fuel prices, he said.For example fewer people will be driving up to Don Salvador Benedicto on weekends, he said.Lacson also said there could be a drop in attendees from out of town at the Panaad sa Negros Festival, which is scheduled to run from April 13 to 19.Despite these concerns, the governor expects that Bacolod residents will still flock to the festival in large numbers.*

Jess and Ligaya Marañon (3rd and 2nd from left), the owners of the art house,  with guests.* Robert Harland photos  Bacolod City’s cultural landscape continues to flourish, and the reopening of the J&L Marañon Art House at Osmena Aveñue, adds another distinctive attraction to the growing list of places of interest in the city.Once a popular destination, the house had been closed for several years, but owners Jess and Ligaya Marañon, who are based in London, have now entrusted its management to Bacolod Arts, Cultural and Heritage Inc. (BACHI) under the leadership of Sandy Solinap.Acting Negros Occidental Provincial Tourism Officer Raymond Alunan, Bacolod Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., ace tour guide Artie Lacson, curator Sandy S. Soli...

Bacolod protestors call for an end of the war in the Middle East.* Romeo Subaldo photoMilitant groups staged a protest in Bacolod City on Tuesday, March 17, following the government’s announcement of a ₱1 fare hike for traditional jeepneys and a ₱2 increase for modern units amid soaring fuel prices. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Chair Vigor Mendoza II said the adjustment raises the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys to ₱14, with a ₱2 charge for every succeeding kilometer. Modern jeepney fares will rise to ₱17, with a ₱2.30 rate for every kilometer beyond the minimum. The Department of Energy reported that diesel prices surged by ₱20.40 to ₱23.90 per liter, while gasoline rose by ₱12.90 to ₱16.60 on Tuesday. Noli Rosales, Bayan Muna Negros secretary gen...