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Drought damage to rice and corn crops in 25 towns and cities of Negros Occidental is now P184,764,120, with Cauayan town accounting for more than one-third of the total amount.Cauayan town in southern Negros Occidental sustained crop damage of P67.4 million, an Office of the Provincial Agriculturist report submitted to Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, April 18, showed.The OPA report said the total damage to rice was P180,026,310 and to corn - P4,737, 809 affecting 4,739 farmers in 178 barangays.The following is the drought damage to rice crops per district:FIRST DISTRICT: San Carlos City – P2,383,723 and Don Salvador Benedicto - P701,525;SECOND DISTRICT: Sagay City - P1,324,425;THIRD DISTRICT: Murcia - P688,638; Talisay City - P1,115,504, EB Magalona - P2,572,4...

A hundred political prisoners in Negros Island will hold another 24-hour fast on Friday, April 19, to call on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) National Office to press on with its initial efforts for a thorough and impartial investigation on the numerous human rights violations in Negros since July 2022, which are widely-believed to be an integral part of the Marcos Jr.'s counter-insurgency drive in the island.This was announced by the families and friends of political prisoners organized under the Negros Occidental chapter of Kapatid, or Kapisanan para sa Pagpapalaya ng mga Detinidong Pulitikal sa Pilipinas in a press release Thursday.Political prisoners in Negros island number no less than 128 as of April 1, or about 16 percent of the country's current total.The CHR in Ne...

Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez and Senator Mark Villar (right) at the inauguration rites.*Victorias PIOVictorias City empowered its local carabao dairy production industry with the inauguration of a Dairy Box and Carabao Pen at the Bangga Daan Satellite Market and Hda. San Antonio, respectively, on Thursday, April 18.The Dairy Box located at the Barangay I Satellite Market is the first one-stop outlet for carabao dairy products in the whole province of Negros Occidental.Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez led the blessing and inauguration ceremony with Senator Mark Villar.Benitez described the ceremony as the “Great Victorias Cow Moo-vement [Movement],” as he emphasized that they are not just launching facilities, they are laying the foundation for a future of prosperity and health in...

Kabankalan City rice crop damage is now P41.9 million.*Ronnie Baldonado photo Kabankalan City declared a state of calamity on Thursday, April 18, amid widespread drought damage to crops. The Kabankalan Sangguniang Panlungsod unanimously approved the declaration during their regular session Thursday afternoon, Vice Mayor Miguel Zayco said. A manifestation was made to include sugarcane under the declaration, he said. Mayor Benjie Miranda said the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office recommended the declaration of a state of calamity with 41.4 percent of the farmers and all of the barangays of the city affected by the drought.The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA)  reported on Thursday that damage to rice crops in 13 barangays of Kab...

Dried fish at the Cadiz pavilion enjoy brisk sales*Ronnie Baldonado photoSales at the Panaad sa Negros Festival hit P4.46 million in the first two days of the festivities on Monday and Tuesday, April 15 to 16.The sales were from the six festival sites at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, with the local government unit pavilions earning almost 50 percent of the total sales, a provincial government report said.On the opening day, the festival earned P2,208,304 in sales and on the second day P2,248,563.20.For the first two days, the LGU pavilions of the 32 towns and cities of Negros Occidental earned about P2,441457.50, the San Miguel and Garden Show - P1,160,120.20, Food Alley - P400,850.50, Provincial Veterinary - P310,545, MUAD Trade Fair - P85,342, and Office of...

The dead whale shark* A whale shark and a green sea turtle were found dead in  southern Negros Occidental, Thursday, April 18. The whale shark or “Butanding” died a day after it was stranded at the port in Brgy. Aguisan, Himamaylan City. Himamaylan Environment and Natural Resources Officer Armela Waldato said that based on their initial investigation, the whale shark probably died due to stress. On April 17, witnesses reported the whale shark stranded at the Aguisan Port at about 2:47 a.m. and it was released at about 11 a.m. when the tide had risen. The team of the  Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) with the  police, Philippine Coast Guard, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources  monitored and observed t...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, April 18,  called on Timor Leste authorities for the immediate deportation or extradition of ousted Negros Oriental  Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., following news reports that his son allegedly bribed a member of Timor Leste’s police force in exchange for special treatment of his detained father. According to reports from the Hutahan news site, the son of Teves offered a USD2,000 (over PHP114,000) bribe to a Criminal Investigation Police (PCIC) member in exchange for "security" inside and outside Becora Prison. “As a result, calls for the immediate extradition or deportation of Teves has intensified in Timor Leste to prove to the international community that the country does not harbor international fugitives,” the DOJ said ...

CCTV footage captured the killing of the businessman* A bar owner was shot to death by two unidentified gunmen as he was leaving a convenience store at Sofia Gonzaga Street, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, 4:15 a.m. Thursday, April 18. Killed was Elson Casalan Cepeda, 48, of East Homes 2, Brgy Estefania, Bacolod City, PCapt. Francis Depasucat, Police Station 4 chief, said. Cepeda and his wife had just left their bar and had stopped by a convenience store, in front of the Estefania barangay hall, to buy food.As the businessman emerged from the store and was about to open the door of his white sports utility vehicle two unidentified men got out of a parked car and shot him, CCTV video of the incident showed.The gunmen then fled on board their car that was pa...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez* Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Thursday, April 18, that he is prepared to run mayor of Bacolod City in 2025. “I will decide based on what is good for Bacolod City,” he said.“To say that he (Benitez) is   not inclined to seek re-election is not correct. It is still part of his consideration. It is in fact his main consideration being the incumbent mayor”, his spokesman Caesar Distrito also said in a press statement on Thursday. Distrito noted that the mayor aside from seeking reelection has said that he has the option to switch with Rep. Greg Gasataya and run for congressman, run for senator, accept a Cabinet position or stay away from politics. But Benitez, on Thursday, also stressed that “the...

Halos puno na gid ang cell number 3 sa sanitary landfill sang Bacolod sa Barangay Felisa gani kinahanglan na sang bag-o nga cell para sa basura. Kahapon gin-ratify na sang Sangguniang Panlungsod sang Bacolod ang pagsugod sang bag-o nga cell para maka sugod na gid ang construction. Suno sa kay Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, wala man sang iban nga bidder kag ang IPM ang naga isahanon nga nag bid para sa pagtukod sini. Yara sa P59M ang balor sang sini nga proyekto kag ini ang maga tindog sa bag-o nga duta nga na acquire sang Bacolod para sa landfill project. Kinahanglan na suno sa kay Sayson nga masuguran gilayon ang proyekto kay halos puno na gid ang daan nga landfill. Ang daan nga mga cell ang tampukan kag sirad-an na sang siudad. Sa bag-o ng...