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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...

The whale shark being guided back to sea.*Himamaylan ENRO Facebook page photo A whale shark was spotted near the Aguisan Port in   Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, and became an instant local celebrity. A team composed of the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources,   Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council and Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) immediately ensured the safety of the  about 16-foot long whale shark and  saw to its  return to  sea. During high tide at 11 a.m. with the help of a concerned citizen the whale shark was guided back to sea, the Himamaylan ENRO reported on its Facebook page. Among the reasons the whale shark s...

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) again raised a yellow alert over Negros and  the rest of the Visayas on Wednesday, April 17, with the number of power plants  on forced outage having increased to 13. An NGCP advisory said  13 power plants in the Visayas  are on forced outage, while five others were running on derated capacities for a total of 698 MW unavailable to the grid, the NGCP announced. The yellow alert, which is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement,  was scheduled from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.  Wednesday. Michelle Visera, NGCP spokesperson, said forced outage means unplanned shutdowns by power plants, while derated capacities are when a power plant ...

Himamaylan Vice Mayor Justin Gatuslao,  Rep. Emilio Yulo III, Senate President  Juan Miguel Zubiri, CHMSU President  Norberto Mangulabnan, Vice President for  Administration and Finance Rosalinda Tuvilla,  Engr. Marivic Roldan of  the DPWH Negros Occ. District 2, and Executive Director Joevelle Vergara of the Binalbagan Campus (l-r) at the blessing and inauguration.* Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri led the inauguration and blessing of a two-story dormitory worth P14,850,000 inside the Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) Binalbagan campus,  on Monday, April 15. This legacy project of Senator Zubiri was lobbied by Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District), a  .press release from CHMSU said./ Zubiri, in his speech,  highlighted ...

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) lifted its red and yellow alerts over Negros and the rest of the Visayas late Tuesday night, April 16.NGCP had raised the yellow and red alerts over the Visayas earlier Tuesday after 12 power plants went on forced outage, while five others were running on derated capacities.That meant a total of 676.5MW unavailable to the grid, the NGCP announced. Michelle Visera, NGCP spokesperson, said forced outage means unplanned shutdowns by power plants, while derated capacity is when a power plant produces less than its full capacity.The NGCP issued a yellow alert for 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday.  A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingenc...

Senator Imee Marcos delivering her speech at the Panaad sa Negros Festival opening at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday.* Senator Imee Marcos called for the support of Negrense officials in her campaign to permanently extend the terms of office of barangay officials to six years, during her speech at the Panaad sa Negros Festival opening at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday, April 15.Marcos said that the current 18-month term of the barangay officials is “ridiculously short”, adding that “we don’t want elections almost every year”. “The barangays now perform virtually all the functions accorded by the law… so many plans cannot be made within an 18-month period”, she said. Marcos filed Senate Bill No. 2629 on April 8 that aims to extend t...

Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and his wife, Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer, at the opening of the Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday.*Ronnie Baldonado photo The United Negros Alliance (UNegA) has already chosen its  candidate for vice  governor of Negros Occidental in the  2025 polls. However, it is too early to announce the name of the candidate,  Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, UNegA president,  said on Tuesday, April 16.Ferrer earlier said he is running for representative of the 4th District of Negros Occidental in 2025, as his wife, Rep. Juliet Marie Ferrer is on her third and last term.Ferrer said an internal agreement on whom to field for vice governor has already been made. “It is final because I made the choice ...

A man was stabbed to death for refusing to pay a P100 debt in Sitio Bunga, Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, on Monday, April 15. Albert Manigsasa, 29, of Brgy. Quintin Remo died after he was allegedly stabbed on his right leg by Epifano Solano, 52, the police reported.Police investigation revealed that Solano approached Manigsasa to ask him to pay his P100 debt but the victim refused. The victim kicked the suspect’s face prompting Solano to retaliate and stab him, the police said. A pursuit operation led to the arrest of Solano who is now detained at the Moises Padilla Police Station and will be charged with homicide, the police added.* 

Senate President  Juan Miguel Zubiri (3rd from right) with Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) and Mayor Benjie Miranda  in Kabankalan City, Monday.* Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri was in southern Negros Occidental for the groundbreaking of a water project in Kabankalan City and the blessing of a university dormitory in Binalbagan on Monday, April 15.Zubiri, in a Facebook post, said he joined the groundbreaking of his Water District Rehabilitation and Waterline Improvement project in Kabankalan City, his father’s hometown.“We hope that this will greatly contribute to the continued development of Kabankalan, especially during the El Niño period,” he said. He was joined by Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) and Kabankalan Mayo...