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Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority head Mark Lapid, Rep. Emilio Yulo III (Neg. Occ., 5th District), Himamaylan Mayor Raymund Tongson, Senator Lito Lapid, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, and Board Members Rita Gatuslao and Anton Occeño (l-r) at the Himaya Festival in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, Sunday.*Ronnie Baldonado photoSenator Manuel “Lito” Lapid and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson pledged their support to complete the construction of the P190 million Punta Talaban Bridge during the Himaya Festival in Himamaylan City on Sunday, April 7.Lacson, in his speech, said that he will find a way to get funding for the completion of the project in Himamaylan City.“I passed by your bridge earlier today and saw its situation. With this, I will allocate fu...

The Department of Education on Sunday announced the suspension of face-to-face classes in all public schools nationwide on Monday, April 8.“In order to allow learners to complete pending assignments, projects and other requirements, all public schools nationwide shall implement asynchronous classes/distance learning on Monday,” the DepEd advisory said.Teaching and non-teaching personnel in all public schools will not be required to report to their stations, it added.The advisory said private schools are not covered by the advisory but have the option to implement the same.*

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Occidental arrested three persons and dismantled a drug den in a buy-bust operation in Purok Jose Rizal, Brgy. 14, Bacolod City, on Friday, April 5.Arrested were Julius De Pedro Bayaten, 39, Christine Macabante, 29, and alleged drug den maintainer Ralph Lauren Allera, 27, the PDEA reported.Operatives from PDEA-Neg. Occ. and Regional Special Enforcement Team, and Police Drug Enforcement Team seized eight grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street drug price of P54,500 from them, the report said.Also recovered were paper bills, improvised tooters with traces of shabu, disposable lighters, a black coin purse, and alleged cash proceeds.The PDEA said the suspects will face charges for violation of Article II of Republic Act 91...

A laborer died after he was stabbed multiple times in Hacienda San Benito, Crossing Magallon, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6. Killed was a 56-year-old man who was stabbed by a 30-year-old man, the police, who withheld their names, reported.The victim and the suspect were having a drinking session at the garage of the victim’s house when suddenly the suspect stabbed him multiple times. The suspect fled in an unknown direction while the victim was brought to the Municipal Health Infirmary. The victim was later referred to the Ignacio Lacson Arroyo Memorial District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.The suspect was arrested after a pursuit operation conducted by the Moises Padilla Police Station alert team.*&...

The declaration of   a state of calamity in San Enrique, Negros Occidental, was recommended on Friday, April 5, with the extreme heat brought on by the El Niño phenomenon having already damaged P9.9 million in crops and fisheries in the town. The San Enrique Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) recommendation will be forwarded to the town’s Sangguniang Bayan for concurrence in a special session on Monday, Mayor Jilson Tubillara said. Tubillara said the drought has affected all 10 barangays of San Enrique. Wells, fishponds and crops drying up have left a lot of residents without jobs, he said. The dry spell has affected 6,000 families in the town, Tubillara said. A declaration of a state of calamity will enable the t...

The exhibit will be at the Negros Musem.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Negros Museum, in partnership with the Korea-Philippines Festival Cultural Exchange Association, will hold  an exhibit on the traditional Korean art on April 19 to 22. Three Korean women visual artists Park Sang Jeong,  Kim Mun Jeong and Park Soyun will showcase their artworks.  They will be accompanied by Dr. Jungwhan Kim, president of the Korea-Philippines Festivals Exchange Association, who will also conduct a lecture on the Korean Traditional Art on April 22 to the Bachelor in Culture and Arts Education students and Performing Art scholars of Colegio San Agustin and to the Architecture and Fine Arts students of La Consolation College in their respective schools, a press release from the museum sai...

Negros Occidental’s suspected pertussis cases have increased to 19, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, said Friday, April 5. The age range of the reported suspected cases are from one month old to 62 years old, she said. So far only a 2-month-old baby has tested positive for pertussis and has since recovered, Pinongan said. Research Institute of Tropical Medicine test results are needed to determine if the 19 cases are positive or not, she said. Seven patients are hospitalized while the rest are in home isolation, she added. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory tract infection that in some cases could be fatal.* 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.*  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will lead the ceremonial energization of the Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone Project Stage 3 (CNP3) in Bacolod City, which is expected to improve the power supply situation in Western Visayas, on Monday, April 8.Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara , who joined the Philippine Electric Power Industry Forum 2024 at the Iloilo Convention Center on Friday, confirmed the visit of the president.The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) completed the 230-kilovolt CNP3 on March 27 that is now running at full capacity, she said.A source said the president is tentatively set to conduct an aerial inspection of the CNP3 Transmission Line – Bacolod Gahit Line and tour the Bacolod Substation.He is ...