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A vandalized wall in Bacolod City* photo courtesy of Caesar Distrito  Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Wednesday, April 24, created a taskforce to combat the rising cases of vandalism in Bacolod City.The taskforce, created by virtue of Executive Order No. 25, Series of 2024, is tasked to enforce Bacolod’s Anti-Vandalism Ordinance of 2011 that imposes penalties on violators. The ordinance defines vandalism as the willful acts that damage or deface the property belonging to another person or to the public. This includes writing, drawing, printing, marking or inscribing on any public or private property any word, slogan, caricature, drawing mark or symbol. Posting or displaying on public or private property any advertisement, bill or notice, without consen...

An octogenarian who lost her house in a fire at Purok 9, Brgy. Aguisan in Himamaylan City, on Tuesday, April 23, immediately received aid from Mayor Raymund Tongson and the City Social Welfare and Development Office. Ana Bisonaya, 83, received P10,000, DSWD food packs, sleeping, kitchen, hygiene and family kits along with the families of two other houses that were damaged in the fire.Tongson, who led the immediate relief operation, said “this is the standard procedure of my office and the city government - to quickly bring aid and sustain it with aftercare activities, including psycho-social services for the fire victims”.Fortunately, no one was injured, said Tongson, who reminded Himamaylanons to remain vigilant and to take precautions against fires.*

Will it be a battle between Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (left) and former Victorias mayor Francis Frederick “Wantan” Palanca in 2025?The Victorias City vice mayor and nine councilors irrevocably resigned from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino on Tuesday, April 23, following the announcement of a party official that PDP may field former mayor Francis Frederick “Wantan” Palanca as its candidate for governor of Negros Occidental in 2025.Lawyer Jesus Villanueva Hinlo, PDP deputy secretary general for Visayas and Negros Occidental Council president, said on Monday that they are thinking of fielding Palanca, the former Victorias City mayor, for governor next year.Victorias Vice Mayor Abelardo D. Bantug III and the city councilors, in a letter to PDP chairman Jose Alvarez said It has com...

The San Carlos City pavilion at the Panaad sa Negros Festival.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Panaad sa Negros Festival sales last week hit P20,668,551, a final report showed on Wednesday, April 24. The festival was held at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City from April 15 to 21.  Among the pavilions of the municipalities Calatrava, which sold native bags and furniture, registered the highest sales   at P2 million, Karen Dinsay, festival secretariat head, said.  The top grosser among the cities was San Carlos City with sales at P564, 356, she said.  The P20.6 million sales last week was P2,975,091 less than the P23,663,642 at last year’s Panaad festival, the report submitted to the Office of the Governor showed. T...

Citicore said  its  conducts  daily soil watering as one of its dust control measures*Citicore photo  Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. on Wednesday, April 24, assured that it is implementing dust control measures at its solar farm in Silay City, Negros Occidental, that has been the subject of complaints by nearby residents.“Citicore is taking this matter seriously and is taking steps to control the situation”, a statement from the firm said.The dust is coming from the ongoing construction of a 69 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar power plant with   battery energy storage system at Barangay Eustaquio Lopez, Silay City that is affecting residents of nearby Barangay Rizal. Citicore said dust control measures such as daily soil watering have been ...

The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) announced  that there were six  new dengue and three probable pertussis cases in their 15th week of monitoring this year. The three new probable pertussis cases in Bacolod  brings the total to  16, and  six  confirmed cases since March 24, the CHO reported on Wednesday, April 24. Barangays Tangub, Villamonte, Taculing, Handumanan, and Granada are the five areas identified to have confirmed pertussis cases in Bacolod, the CHO reported. The CHO also reported  that the six new dengue cases in the city brings the total to  116  since January 1. The figure is 22.1 percent lower compared to the same period last year, which was 149 cases with two deaths. No dengue deaths ...

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson (center) with barangay officials receiving a P20,000 cash incentive for their zero open defecation achievement at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Tuesday.* The Negros Occidental provincial government has distributed P1 million in cash incentives to local government units (LGUs) and barangays that have achieved zero open defecation (ZOD) status. Data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) on Wednesday, April 24,  showed the province has two ZOD-declared LGUs, including La Carlota City and Municipality of San Enrique, while at least 114 villages are already practicing ZOD as of the first quarter of 2024. During the ceremonial turnover of cash incentives led by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Provincial C...

The Mt. Cansermon Command of the New People’s Army on Wednesday, April 24, claimed the killing of a resort employee in Purok Dug-anon, Brgy. Oringao, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, whom it accused of being an asset of the police and Army.They killed Myrna Belando, 43, a resort caretaker of Mag-aso Resort and a resident of Barangay Oringao on Sunday as a warning to individuals who help the police and the Army in their anti-insurgency campaigns, the MCC-NPA said in a press statement.Police investigation revealed that Bilando was driving her motorcycle to her workplace when an unidentified suspect shot her multiple times on her head and body. The NPA alleged that Bilando regularly reported  to the 94th Infantry Battalion Alpha Coy in Brgy. Camingawan, Kabankalan Cit...