Top Stories

The Panaad sa Negros Festival opening*Ronnie Baldonado photo Senator Imee Marcos called the Panaad sa Negros Festival “truly a best practice” for giving the towns and cities an opportunity to showcase their best during the festival’s opening program at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday, April 15. Marcos, in her speech, called all the towns and cities winners as they showcase their products through trade fairs and exhibitions. “Panaad is truly a best practice”, she said, adding that this is because of the trade fairs and exhibitions that make every town and city a winner. The Panaad is not merely a promise but an achievement because of the economic gains of the province, she said. Marcos said that Negros Occidental and Bacolod City accounte...

Senator Imee Marcos with  Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (left) and Rep. Gerardo Valmayor (Neg. Occ., 1st District) at the Panaad sa Negros Festival.*Ronnie Baldonado photo Senator Imee Marcos said her brother, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will be signing the Negros Island Region Act into law within a few days. Things will only get better for Negros because the NIR will bring services closer to Negrenses, the senator said in her speech at the opening of the Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Sports Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday, April 15. The president during his visit to Bacolod on March 8 also confirmed that he is signing the bill creating the   NIR, which will be composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, into law ...

The seized dental equipment during the raid* National Bureau of Investigation agents   arrested a 30-year-old woman for the alleged illegal practice of dentistry in an entrapment operation at Barangay Tagda, Hinigaran, 1 p.m. Monday, April 15, NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said.Arrested was Ana Marie Endiera Sanipa of Barangay Tugis, Hinigaran, who is under NBI detention pending inquest proceedings at the  Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday, he said. A NBI agent acted  as a poseur patient who availed of dental services from Sanipa who was then arrested, Baldovino nabbed.Sanipa was operating the Happy Smile Dental Clinic without a Professional Regulation Commission license and PRC Certificate of Registration  in violation of Republic Act 9484,...

A 1-month-old baby boy who tested positive for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, in Negros Occidental has died, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, confirmed   on Monday, April 15. Eleven babies have tested positive for pertussis in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City but there is no need to declare an outbreak yet, health officials said.The child, who is the first pertussis fatality in Negros Occidental this year, passed away last week at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, Pinongan said. Pinongan said of the 36 suspected pertussis cases detected in Negros Occidental, five tested positive, five negative and the rest are awaiting test results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.The ag...

Public transportation in Bacolod City is not expected to be paralyzed despite some groups’ plans to stage protest caravans against the government’s jeepney modernization program on Monday, April 15.The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier announced that operators of traditional public utility vehicles (PUV) that fail to meet the modernization consolidation deadline will not be allowed to operate after April 30.Consolidation refers to the government requirement for PUV operators to form cooperatives or corporations for them to gain access to business financing to acquire modern units.The Federation of Bacolod City Drivers Association and the Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide are not joining the caravan or any strike, Eduardo “Junjun” de As...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is “not considering a declaration of a state of calamity at the moment” despite the drought damage to crops in the province, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Sunday, April 14.The El Niño drought damage to rice and corn hit P115,228,510 in 22 towns and cities of Negros Occidental last week, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist reported.San Enrique last week declared a state of calamity amid the rising drought crop damage in the town.Declaring a state of calamity will give the LGU access to funds for assistance to affected farmers, Lacson said.On whether he would ask the Bureau of Soils and Water Management to reconsider its decision for no cloud in Negros Occidental, Lacson said “bear in mind the recommendation of BSWM is b...

The Lin-ay Sang Negros 2024: Festival Costume Competition at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central Activity Center in Bacolod City  on Sunday, April 14.*Ronnie Baldonado photo A bigger Panaad sa Negros Festival is set to open at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City on Monday, April 15.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, during the sendoff Saturday of 1,102 security forces for the festival, said this year‘s celebration will have more activities for a larger celebration.“We anticipate a significant influx of people, we are looking at several thousands of Negrenses and tourists,” he said.In addition to the pavilions of the towns and cities as attractions, concerts and major contests will draw large crowds, Lacson said.Lacson has placed the Provincial Dis...

There will be another round of fuel price increases on Tuesday,   April 16. Diesel prices are expected to increase by P0.80 to P1 per liter, and gasoline by P0.20 to P0.40 per liter, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday. Fuel firms implemented a per liter increase in gasoline by P1.10, diesel by P1.55 and P1.40 for kerosene on April 9.* 

The fire that hit Barangay 18 on Saturday.*Arthur  Yap photo A fire destroyed 18 houses and damaged three in Purok Interior, Barangay 18, Bacolod City, Saturday morning, April 14.The fire that started at  8:51 a.m. and was declared out at 10:14 a.m.  caused an estimated damage of P3 million,  the Bacolod City Fire  Station said. The fire started from the second floor of the house of Merlinda  Encarnacion and its cause is  believed to  be electrical in  nature, Fire Officer 2 Rolin Paulan  said. The fire  displaced 50 families with 148  members, City Social Welfare Officer Alma Gustilo said, because there were sharers  and renters in some of the houses. Some of  fire victims are sta...