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Commission on Population and Development Regional Director Harold Alfred Marshall speaks during the regional dissemination forum for the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey held in Iloilo City on Thursday.*The Commission on Population and Development (CPD) in Western Visayas says the declining total fertility rate (TFR) in the region provides an opportunity to accelerate development, reduce poverty and improve labor force participation and should not be a cause for alarm.CPD Regional Director Harold Alfred Marshall talked about the policy and program implications of the TFR result during the regional dissemination forum of the 2022 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) final report held in Iloilo City on Thursday, July 14.“There are more pros than cons in the de...

The Victorias City Sidlak Kadalag-an Festival dancers during their winning performance at the Panaad sa Negros Festival in Bacolod City in April.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Victorias City Sidlak Kadalag-an Festival dancers who recently won the city's first-ever championship title in the Panaad sa Negros Festival Dance Competition are competing for this year's Aliwan Fiesta on Saturday, July 15.The Sidlak Kadalag-an dancers are representing both Victorias City and Negros Occidental in the Aliwan Fiesta, the country's grandest festival, a press release from Victorias City said Friday.There are a total of 13 contingents vying for this year's festival dance championship.On Thursday, July 13, it was announced that Kadalag-an dancers will be the second performers in the Aliwan Fie...

Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran*Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has officially revoked his earlier executive order declaring Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran persona non grata for the arrival of 80 Badjaos in his city.Treñas issued Executive Order No. 088, Series of 2023, Thursday, July 13, revoking Executive Order No. 083 series of 2023 which declared Familiaran, undesirable and unwelcome in the City of Iloilo effective immediately.Treñas in EO 083 declared Familiaran persona non grata “in view of the uncoordinated transfer of the 80 Badjaos also known as sea gypsies in Iloilo” last month.The Bacolod City government was sending the Badjaos back to Mindanao but they instead disembarked at the Dumangas port and went to Iloilo City.The Iloilo City Social Welfare a...

The edge of the runway of the old Bacolod airport*Millie Kilayko photoThe Lizares family has filed a case for the recovery of a portion of the old Bacolod airport, but is willing to enter into a joint venture with the city government for the development of the area, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Thursday, July 13.They are claiming a section of the old airport owned by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Benitez said.The Lizares family is saying that the government expropriated that section for the airport, but since it is no longer being used for that purpose the property should revert back to them as the original owners, Benitez said.“We have agreed with the representatives of the Lizares family that when they recover a portion of the C...

Brig. Gen. Sidney Villafor*The Philippine National Police (PNP) in Western Visayas (Region 6) is continuing to build a solid case against the suspects in the massacre that claimed the lives of four members of the Fausto family in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.Brig. Gen. Sidney Villafor, Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) director, said on Thursday, July 13, that investigators are considering the urgency in the filing of the case while ensuring that the evidence can stand in court.“We reinforce and solidify all the evidences so we can file a strong case against them,” Villaflor told reporters during his visit to the Bacolod City Police Office headquarters.On the night of June 14, couple Rolly and Emilda Fausto and their two minor sons were gunned down by perpetrators beli...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is not conducting any random drug tests right now, but will do so if it receives information of drug use among its employees, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Thursday, July 13.“If we hear that there’s presence we might do surprise random tests,” he said.Lacson said he will leave it to the local government unit officials to decide whether they want to conduct surprise drug tests among their employees if its use is prevalent in their areas.Lacson said an employee and seven traffic enforcers in Silay City, and one at the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office having tested positive during surprise drug tests should serve as a lesson to government employees if they want to keep their jobs.Government employees are expected to beha...

PBrig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor (center) at the BCPO on Thursday.*BCPO photoThe Bacolod City Police Office is vying for Best City Police Office nationwide as part of the upcoming Philippine National Police service anniversary on August 8.PBrig. Gen. Sidney Villaflor, Western Visayas police regional director, who was at the BCPO on Thursday, July 13, noted that the BCPO was nominated last year and is a nominee against this year.If it is nominated yearly, it means it is one of the best of the best, he said.The BCPO’s being nominated again shows that its performance is good, Villaflor added.PBrig. Gen. Nicolas Salvador led a Field Evaluation and Validation Team that assessed BCPO's achievements, operations, and simulation exercises, the Bacolod Public Information Office repor...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson*The Negros Occidental provincial government has allocated P15 million to augment the water needs of farmers when El Niño hits, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Thursday, July 13.The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said El Niño is expected towards the last quarter of the year and first half of 2024 bringing dry spells in most areas of the country.“We decided we want to maximize the water resources…with focus on land areas that are irrigated,” Lacson said.In areas that are not irrigated, Lacson said he does not want to opt for digging of wells.They will focus on tapping run off water, he said.“We are researching on some technology on how to dam water,” he said.“Wherever the water source is let’s ma...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson will lead the delegation that will press for Negros Occidental’s hosting of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa before the Department of Education in Manila on Friday, July 14.Lacson said in their presentation they will inform the DepEd that Negros Occidental has the experience having hosted four Palarong Pambansas and that it is a sports loving province.“We will project Negros Occidental as a sports destination”, he said.Lacson said they will also project the food and festive atmosphere that Negros Occidental has to offer with its local governments’ set to open their pavilions to the athletes and guests at the Panaad Park and Sports Complex during the Palaro.Staff of the Public Information Office, Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa and Provincial Sports Coordin...

The signing of the MOU.*The Negros Occidental provincial government is eyeing to collect an environmental fee from tourists as part of the financing solutions for local biodiversity conservation and sustainable environmental protection projects.The initiative is among the areas of cooperation identified in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the province and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines with support from the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) Project.As of Thursday, July 13, various activities have been outlined where the cooperation would be pursued, following the signing of the MOU on July 6.Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson thanked the UNDP Philippines and BIOFIN Global for their trust and confidence.“I’m confident that the c...