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Free rides for the public will be provided by the San Carlos City government.DRRM Officer Joe Recalex Alingasa Jr. said the free rides, in partnership with the City Social Welfare and Development Office, are in addition to rides provided by the Philippine National Police, a San Carlos City public information office Facebook page post said.Alingasa said residents, especially senior citizens and students, walking home between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., are prone to heat stroke as temperatures rise during the El Niño phenomenon.Alingasa will meet with the fleet service for the route or pick-up points before the city provides free rides.*

Senator Grace Poe presides over a Committee on Public Services hearing on the bid for a NEPC franchise.*The Senate Committee on Public Services on Tuesday, March 5, held a hearing on three bills seeking franchises to operate power distribution facilities, including that of the Negros Electric Power Corporation (NEPC).House Bill No. 9805 that seeks to grant NEPC a franchise, is a measure borne out of public clamor for better power service in Negros Occidental, said Senator Grace Poe, who chairs the Committee on Public Services, in her opening statement.The measure seeks to grant a franchise to NEPC, a joint venture between Primelectric and the existing power distributor, Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO).Under the joint venture NEPC will take over the power dist...

A man was arrested through a citizen’s arrest after he allegedly stabbed a store-owner in Brgy. Blumentritt, Murcia, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, March 3.The 44-year-old man was arrested by the police after he stabbed a 32-year-old merchant at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, the police said.Investigation revealed that the victim and the suspect were having a drinking session in the victim’s store when they had a heated argument.The suspect left the store and returned with a bladed weapon that he used in stabbing the victim in his stomach and wrist.The victim was brought to the Murcia Health Unit and was later transferred to the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod, while the suspect was turned over to the police.*

The ongoing development of the Yuhum Residences-Vista Alegre in Bacolod City.*Bacolod City PIO photoThe Bacolod City government is opening the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as well as to home renters, who are not registered residents but are working in Bacolod.Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez, chairman of the City Council’s committee on urban poor, housing and resettlement, said on Monday. March 4, that although the priority beneficiaries are still Bacolodnons, residents of other local government units can also avail of the city government's shelter program in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).“Good news because this is a national housing program, not only residents of Ba...

The two road concreting projects implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways-Western Visayas in in Sipalay City and Hinoba-an town.*DPWH photosThe P57 million concreting of road sections in Sipalay City and Hinoba-an town in Negros Occidental is seen to spur tourism and agriculture development in the two southernmost local government units (LGUs) of the province.In a report on Monday, March 4, the Department of Public Works and Highways-Western Visayas (DPWH-Region 6) said that in Barangay Nauhang, Sipalay City, the construction of an additional 1.74-lineal kilometer concrete road, which costs P45 million, provides better transportation connectivity and faster mobility of goods, services and farm produce, particularly along the tourist attractions in the village....

A senior citizen was arrested after running amok and allegedly injuring two individuals whom he shot at Purok Ema, Brgy. Ma-ao, Bago City, Negros Occidental, 9:10 pm. Sunday, March 3.The 69-year-old man was arrested after allegedly injuring two men in their 30s, reported the police, who withheld their names.The suspect, who was allegedly intoxicated, ran to the house of the 31-year-old victim creating alarm and scandal over his stolen chicken.When the suspect was pacified by a 34-year-old man, he suddenly shot him and hit his mouth.The other victim attempted to grab the suspect’s firearm but it accidentally fired hitting his head, the police said.The victims were brought to Bago City Hospital while the suspect was arrested by the police.The police recovered a .38 ca...

A man with suspected shabu worth P292,400 and a firearm was arrested in a buy-bust operation at Purok Makawiwili, Brgy. Caradio-an, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, on Monday, March 4, the police reported.Arrested was a 27-year-old man from Purok Makawiwili, whose name was withheld by the police.Seized from him were 10 heat-sealed sachets of suspected shabu weighing 43 grams, an improvised firearm or pen gun, and a live cartridge of a 9-millimeter gun, the police reported.The suspect is now detained at the Himamaylan City Police Station while the drug evidence was brought to PNP Provincial Forensic Unit for examination.*

Dengue cases in Bacolod City decreased by 28 percent from January 1 to February 24 compared to the same period last year, the City Health Office reported on Monday, March 4.The CHO said it recorded 63 dengue cases in Bacolod this year, which is 28.4 percent lower than last year’s 88 with one death.Brgy. Taculing recorded the highest number of dengue cases in Bacolod with 15, followed by Mansilingan with five, and Tangub, Cabug, and Handumanan with four each.The CHO also reported 12 new suspected cases of rotavirus in the city bringing the total to 77 this year.Brgy. Banago had the highest number with 10 suspected rotavirus cases followed by Villamonte, Mansilingan, Alijis, and Bata with six each.Reported suspected cholera cases were 31.*

Pork from African swine fever (ASF) red zones are banned in Negros Occidental.*Ronnie Baldonado photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, March 4, that he will sit down with local government unit officials to discuss the putting up of checkpoints to prevent the entry of pigs and pork products from African swine fever (ASF) red zones into Negros Occidental.The governor has banned the entry of pigs and pork products from various areas, including Bacolod City and Negros Oriental.Lacson said he has not gotten the commitment of the Negros Occidental LGUs on the checkpoints yet.“They have to understand that we are trying to save the hog industry in their respective areas,” he said.The governor cited the need for checkpoints at the Kabankalan City, San Carlos City and Hi...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, March 4, that he hopes the completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) transmission upgrade will really improve the power situation in Negros Occidental.He hopes it will mean less brownouts and blackouts for Negros Occidental, Lacson said.“Let’s wait until the end of the month”, he said.The governor, in reaction to the blackout that hit parts of Negros and Panay on Friday, March 1, said he does not want to totally blame the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines because it is also dependent on power suppliers.The Department of Energy (DOE), in a statement Monday, reiterated that relief from the Panay power situation is less than a month away.The Panay grid will be strengthened upon the completion of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) trans...