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Oct302026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Negros Power records minimal ₱0.02 rate increase in October, lowest in Negros Occidental

While electricity rates in parts of Negros Occidental continued to climb in October 2026, Negros Power recorded only a minimal increase of ₱0.0204 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), significantly lower than the adjustments imposed by other power distributors in the province.Negros Power in a press release Friday, Oct. 30, said based on the latest billing data its rate adjustment was considerably smaller than the ₱0.4807/kWh increase recorded by Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (NONECO) and the ₱0.0863/kWh adjustment of NOCECO.For households consuming 100 kWh per month, the October adjustment translates to an estimated additional ₱2.04 in electricity charges for Negros Power consumers. In comparison, households under NONECO would see an increase of approximately ₱48.07, while NOCECO...

Oct302026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Bacolod police announce Undas road closures, issue safety reminders

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The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has announced road closures near the Burgos Public Cemetery and reminded residents to secure their homes, protect their belongings, and observe safety precautions during the observance of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.According to the BCPO, a half-road closure is being implemented from Oct. 29 to 30 along the Burgos-Lopez Jaena-Police Station 4 area, with one-way traffic allowed.A full road closure will take effect from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, during which vehicles will be prohibited from passing through the affected stretch.Motorists are advised to follow designated traffic routes, observe road signs, and cooperate with traffic personnel to avoid congestion near the cemetery.The BCPO also issued crime prevention reminders for residents...

Oct292026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

NegOcc El Niño crop losses reach ₱42.4M, Hinigaran hardest hit

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The dry weather brought on by the El Niño phenomenon in some parts of Negros Occidental has caused crop damage in Negros Occidental to increase to ₱42,408,370.97.A report submitted by OIC-Provincial Agriculturist Dina A. Genzola to Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said as of Tuesday, Oct. 27, moisture stress due to dry conditions has affected 2,446 farmers and 1,539.48 hectares of agricultural land in 73 barangays in the province. The damage was predominantly sustained by the rice sector, which accounted for ₱38,685,768.93 in losses covering 1,447.55 hectares, affecting 2,294 farmers in 66 barangays.The corn sector suffered ₱3,722,602.04 in crop losses covering 91.93 hectares, impacting 152 farmers in 7 barangays.&nbs...

Oct292026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Nationwide voter registration resumes Nov. 10

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COMELEC NIR Regional Director Lionel Marco Castillano*Nationwide voter registration will resume on Nov. 10 and run until July 30, 2027.Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Negros Island Region Director Lionel Marco Castillano said regional offices are awaiting an official memorandum from the central office, following the announcement by COMELEC Chairman George Garcia.Castillano said that aside from new voter registrations, COMELEC offices will accept other transactions, including reactivation, transfer of registration, change of status, and correction of entries.Registration will open on a Tuesday, as COMELEC transitions to a four-day workweek in November.Meanwhile, COMELEC is awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on petitions challenging the postponement of the Barangay ...

Oct292026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

DILG-NIR honors 9 LGUs for excellence in infrastructure governance

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

The Department of the Interior and Local Government Negros Island Region (DILG NIR) honored nine outstanding local government units (LGUs) for demonstrating superior infrastructure governance and project monitoring during the FY 2026 SubayBAYANI Awards held at the Sugarland Hotel in Bacolod City, Wednesday, Oct. 28.The annual awards recognize LGUs that excel in tracking, implementing, and maintaining transparency in government-funded infrastructure projects using the SubayBAYANI platform.Leading the honorees in the Province Category were the provincial governments of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.In the City Category, the city governments of Bago, Sipalay, and Victorias bagged top honors for their exemplary performance in project monitoring and pu...

Oct292026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Bishop calls for accountability, renewable energy shift amid Visayas power crisis

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San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza*San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, president of Caritas Philippines, called for strict accountability and an urgent transition to distributed renewable energy on Thursday, Oct. 29, following recurring power outages that have disrupted lives and economies across the Visayas region.Addressing the ongoing grid instability, Alminaza cited findings from a recent report by the Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development (CEED), which revealed that coal power plants accounted for 5,492.3 megawatts of aggregated lost power capacity due to outages in the Visayas between January and June 2026.Beyond the physical inconvenience, the outages carry severe economic impacts, he said.In Cebu alone, CEED estimated that a two-hour rotational brownout on Sep...

Oct292026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Negros Occ. rice farmers receive solar irrigation pumps amid El Niño threat – Yulo

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Rep. Emilio Yulo III at the inauguration of a solar-powered irrigation pump in Himamaylan.*Dino Yulo FB page photoThe National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is providing solar-powered irrigation pumps to rice farmers' groups to help mitigate the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Negros Occidental, 5th District) said Thursday, Oct. 29.Inaugurated on Wednesday were the Cabanbanan Pump Irrigation Project 2025 and the Bingig CIS Pump Irrigation Project 2025 for the Cabanbanan Kabsaka Farmers Association in Himamaylan City, Yulo said.One pump project was previously inaugurated in Hinigaran, and about seven more are set to be inaugurated across the Fifth District of Negros Occidental as part of preparations for El Niño, he added.Although there has been ra...

Oct292026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Qualified SSS members with ₱10,000 monthly salary credit or below to get up to ₱8,000 in UPLIFT aid

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The Social Security System (SSS) announced on Wednesday, that eligible members under the expanded coverage of the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) UPLIFT Assistance program will receive up to ₱8,000 in financial assistance beginning Friday, October 30.The latest payout will cover qualified SSS members with monthly salary credits (MSC) not exceeding ₱10,000, the press release from the SSS said.The UPLIFT Assistance aid consists of four tranches of ₱2,000 each, to be credited directly to their registered SSS disbursement accounts.The DSWD, in coordination with SSS, earlier expanded the program to provide additional assistance to qualified members with MSCs not exceeding ₱10,000, beyond the assistance previously available to members with up t...

Oct292026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

DOH allocating P80M for improvement of Bago City Hospital

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Bago City Mayor Mayette Javellana and DOH NIR Officer-in-Charge Assistant Regional Director Adrian Hort Ramos (2nd and third from right) sign the agreement* Bago PIO photoThe Department of Health (DOH) is allocating ₱80 million to improve and equip the Bago City Hospital following an agreement signed in Dumaguete City on Wednesday, October 28.The funding, released under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) Fiscal Year 2025 CONAP Project, will be transferred directly to the Bago City government for procurement and execution alongside additional Quick Response Fund (QRF) allocations meant for disaster-resiliency repairs.Bago City Mayor Mayette Javellana joined DOH - Negros Island Region Center for Health Development (DOH NIR CHD) of...

Oct292026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Over 4,500 sea passengers monitored in NIR as Undas travel begins

Negros Oriental, Top Stories

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) monitored 4,571 inbound and outbound passengers across ports under the Coast Guard District Southern Visayas during the first six hours of Thursday, Oct. 29, ahead of the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.The Coast Guard District Southern Visayas covers maritime operations in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.In its situational report covering midnight to 6 a.m. Thursday, the district recorded 2,593 outbound passengers and 1,978 inbound passengers.The Coast Guard also deployed 519 personnel to monitor port operations and ensure the safety of travelers during the Undas holiday period.A total of 12 vessels were inspected, along with 513 outbound and 449 inbound rolling cargo units.No motor bancas were recorded ...