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Kuh Ledesma sings and spreads the word of God at the Metro Bacolod District Jail – Female Dormitory*Pop diva Kuh Ledesma brought a ray of hope and inspiration to persons deprived of liberty (PDL) at the Metro Bacolod District Jail – Female Dormitory this week.The Metro Bacolod District Jail – Female Dormitory headed by Senior Inspector Reinyrose Joaquin, in a Facebook post, thanked Ledesma for her kindness and generosity during her visit on Wednesday, July 26.“Ms. Kuh Ledesma's sharing of the word of God and her act of kindness touched the hearts of the PDL. She reminded them the importance of the pursuing a morally upright life and fostering a stronger spiritual relationship with God. Her soulful songs uplifted their spirits, and she encouraged them to find the silver lining...

The SIDA law states that P2 billion should be allocated annually for the sugar industry.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is pushing for the restoration of the P2 billion Sugar Industry Development Program fund for 2024, its acting administrator Pablo Azcona said Friday, July 28.The approved allocation in the proposed 2024 budget is P1 billion and the SRA is hoping the amount will be increased, he said.Republic Act Act 10659 or the Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2015 states that the Department of Budget and Management should allocate P2 billion a year to promote the competitiveness of the sugarcane industry and improve the incomes of farmers and farm workers through improved productivity, product diversification, job generation, and increas...

The Bacolod police seized shabu worth P16.7 million in the first 100 days since Col. Noel Aliño was installed as city police director.The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) reported that from April 18 to July 27, P16,658,805.7 worth of suspected shabu weighing 2.45 kilograms were seized in 138 anti-illegal drugs operations.This resulted in the arrest of 166 individuals, the BCPO added.In the same period the Bacolod police also arrested 51 most wanted individuals and 109 other wanted persons, the BCPO reported.The Bacolod police also arrested 258 individuals for illegal gambling in 77 operations and seized P18,665 in bet money, the BCPO said.The police also confiscated 61 loose firearms, it reported.*

Five suspects were arrested in buy-bust operations and P129,336 worth of suspected shabu was seized in three cities in Negros Occidental this week, the police reported Friday, July 28.Three suspects were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Su-ay, Himamaylan City, early Friday morning, July 28.The police said Daven Gavile, 38, Elezer Pamisara, 48, and Lorence Urbanozo, 40, all from Brgy. Su-ay, Himamaylan, were arrested with 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600.The police also recovered various drug paraphernalia from them.In Sagay City, Micheal Atienza, 25, from Brgy. Poblacion 2, was also arrested in a buy-bust operation on Wednesday, July 26.Confiscated from him were four grams of suspected shabu worth P27,200, the police said.Christopher Leduna, 33, a ...

Typhoon “Egay” maintained its strength as it moved west northwestward away from the Philippines Thursday afternoon, PAGASA said.*Typhoon “Egay” induced rains that triggered flooding in 19 towns and cities in Negros Occidental, damaged and destroyed 1,003 houses and caused initial estimated losses of P9 million to crops, farm animals and fisheries as of Thursday, July 27.Affected were 14,034 families with 56,004 members, the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) reported. But Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the majority of those who evacuated had already gone home on Thursday.The largest number of residents affected were in Valladolid with 21,442, San Enrique - 19, 589, Binalbagan – 5,275, Ilog – 2,926, Don Salvador Benedicto – 2,07...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez confirmed on Thursday, July 27, that Maricar Quiro will serve as officer-in-charge of the City Agriculture Office effective immediately.City Agriculturist Goldwyn Nifras was placed under a 60-day preventive suspension after a formal charge for grave misconduct was lodged against him.Nifras was charged for the unauthorized rental of a city government tractor that was donated by the Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, without the issuance of receipts.Nifras denied that he rented out the tractor. Payments made by the farmers were for the operator of the tractor, not for rent, and it did not go to him, Nifras said.*

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Thursday, July 27, that the Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Island Bridges will definitely start during the Marcos administration. Benitez said he will lobby for the Panay to Guimaras and Guimaras to Negros bridges to be built simultaneously so time is not wasted.The original plan is to build the Panay to Guimaras bridge first, he said.President Ferdinand Marcos in his state of the nation address on Monday said the PGN Island Bridges spanning 32 kilometers are among the priorities for construction under his administration.Marcos cited the prioritization of physical connectivity under the country's P8.3 trillion "Build Better More" program to further spur economic growth.Benitez said the detailed engineering design work ...

The floding at the Gaisano City Mall* Bacolod PIO photoMayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he has instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways and the City Engineers’ Office to submit engineering solutions for areas that were flooded in Bacolod City this week.They were instructed to submit a plan on how to eliminate flooding in those areas, Benitez, who convened the Task Force Baha Thursday afternoon, July 27, said.Illegal structures and reclamation work at mouths of rivers were identified as among the causes for the flooding, he said.Benitez said he is just waiting for their final findings so he can issue orders for demolition of illegal structures that exacerbated the flooding.He was informed that the flooding at the Gaisano City Mall area at Araneta Street ...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez during his long wait for his Cebu Pacific flight Wednesday night.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez said he called the Cebu Pacific (CEB) management on Thursday, July 27, to express his disappointment and frustration over the airlines’ handling of its delayed flight that he took on Wednesday night.CEB Flight 5j471 was supposed to leave the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for the Bacolod-Silay Airport at 8:45 p.m., but departed almost three hours later at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.The airline management told him they would look into his complaint, investigate and get back to him, Benitez said.“I think they acknowledged that Wednesday was a difficult day for them because there was a typhoon, but other airlines were on time,” he said.The ...

Non-government organization Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) denied the allegation of the Philippine National Police-Region 6 that they are a Communist Front Organization (CFO) saying it is “purely malicious and fake news”.There is no “alias Ariel” who is a member of Buhi nga Aksyon para sa Kauswagan kag Pag-amlig kag Siguridad sang Mangunguma kag Mamumugon (BAKAS) under PDG, it said in a statement on Thursday, July 27.The Police Community Affairs and Development Group-Western Visayas, in a Facebook post on July 24 , said that “alias Ariel” surrendered to the police on July 24 and claimed to be a member of BAKAS, which it tagged as an alleged CFO.“Ariel” also surrendered an improvised 12-gauge shotgun and 9mm caliber gun, PCADG also reported.PDG said the alleg...