Top Stories

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...

Vocational school administrator Ma. Cristina Orbecido (center) with Bacolod Integrated Deaf Association president Lafonza Latoza (right) and coordinator Joan Briones.*  Four hearing-impaired learners and two persons with special needs are the pioneer graduates of the animation and graphic design training courses of the provincial government’s Negros Occidental Language and Information Technology Center (NOLITC) in Bacolod City.Vocational school administrator Ma. Cristina Orbecido said on Wednesday, April 17, that the development highlights the commitment of NOLITC to social inclusion and diversity in the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector.The six are among the 61 scholars in Animation National Certificate (NC) II Batch 1 and Visual Graphic Design NC I...

The drought hitting Negros Occidental is causing chickens to lay smaller eggs, Dr. Placeda Lemana, provincial veterinarian, said on Wednesday, April 17.The drought currently hitting Negros Occidental is expected to last until May, the state weather bureau PAGASA said.Lemana said egg production has not dropped in Negros Occidental but their seizes are much smaller.“You will not see any jumbo eggs in the market now,” Lemana said.The reason is the chickens are opting to drink more water than eat feeds because of the heat, she said.That means their nutrients are not enough to produce larger sized eggs, Lemana said.The growth of broilers have also slowed, chickens are smaller because the heat is causing them to eat less, she said.Growers are advised to reduce the num...

A 2-month-old baby girl died from probable pertussis at a district hospital in northern Negros Occidental Tuesday night, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, said Wednesday, April 3.They are waiting for the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine test results to determine if the child was positive or negative for pertussis, she said.Earlier a 1-month-old baby boy from Murcia town who tested positive for pertussis also died.Negros Occidental has recorded eight positive pertussis cases, 13 negative, and there are 18 probable cases awaiting RITM test results, she said.Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes severe, uncontrollable coughing fits that can leave the individual “whooping” for deep breaths afterwards. It affects people of all ages,...

A woman who was feeding her grandson was shot dead in her house allegedly by a   barangay tanod in Hacienda Loreta Chang, Brgy. 10, Victorias City, Negros Occidental, on  Tuesday, April 16. The  58-year-old woman, whose name was withheld by the police, was allegedly shot by  a 54-year-old barangay tanod. Police investigation showed that while the  victim was feeding her 4-year-old grandson, the allegedly intoxicated  suspect arrived and was armed with a  357 magnum revolver. He confronted the victim and a heated argument ensued prompting him to shoot the grandmother several times.The victim was hit on her chest and was brought to Victorias Emergency Clinic but was declared dead on arrival.The police recovered the gu...

Brace for bigger electric bills this month. The Central Negros Electric Cooperative on Wednesday, April 17, announced a P1.7287 per kilowatt-hour increase in its electric bills, while the Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative in southern Negros Occidental will hike its rates by P3.4742/kWh this month. NOCECO, in a press statement, said its electricity rate this month is now P14.6309/kWh, or P3.4742 higher than March which was at P11.1567/kWh. It attributed the increase to the total generation charge which increased by P2.9974/kWh compared to last month.  The main factor in the increase in generation charge is the P4.5019/kWh increase in the energy cost from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market from its previous power cost of P5.8601/kWh, NOCECO said.  ...

A senior citizen farmer died after he was accidentally burned inside a sugarcane field in Sitio Cotcot, Brgy. Mabini, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, on  Tuesday,  April 16. The  65-year-old   farmer of Sitio Cocot was found dead inside the  sugarcane field at about 6:50 p.m., Tuesday,  by a neighbor, the police said. He succumbed to  asphyxia and second to multiple-degree burns. The victim was subjected to post-mortem examination and the incident was referred to Bureau of Fire Protection-Cadiz City, the police said.* 

A graduate of the Technological University of the Philippines - Visayas in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, topped the April 2024 Electronics Engineers Licensure Examination (ECELE),   the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Wednesday, April 17. Niele Shem Geronimo Bañas topped the ECELE board with a 91.80 percent rating. The PRC said 1,330 out of 3,130 or 42.49 percent passed the April 2024 ECELE. Bañas graduated from TUP-V with a Bachelor of Science in Electronics Engineering magna cum laude. TUP-V had a 71.05 percent overall passing rate, which was much higher than the national average of 42. 49 percent.The university also had the highest passing  percentage for the  Electronics Technicians Licensure Examinati...

Power Watch Negros is calling for an  in-depth investigation on the root cause of the April 11 five-hour brownout in Bacolod City involving the Alijis feeder, so that appropriate mechanisms of accountability can be   implemented against   inefficiency and abusive behavior, if any, by Central Negros Electric Cooperative employees. Wennie Sancho, Power Watch Negros secretary general, called for an investigation in a letter to CENECO Acting General Manager Arnel Lapore on Wednesday, April 17. Aside from the inconvenience to Bacolod residents, we have to consider the far-reaching economic effects of these power outages, Sancho said. If the allegations are true that there are CENECO employees involved in nefarious activities to disrupt the ope...