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The are 1.6 million students enrolled in Western Visayas for school year 2023-2024 but the number is expected to further increase, the Department of Education 6 reported.The DepEd Quick Count showed 1,620,346 enrollees as of 7 a.m. Friday.The DepEd said 1,435,563 enrollees were in public schools, 182,117 in private schools and 2,666 in state colleges and colleges and universities.The quick count showed 706,692 enrollees in Negros Occidental.Classes in public schools are set to start on Tuesday, August 29.Latecomers will be accommodated because of the policy that no child should be left behind, Arnold Arnaez, DepEd Division of Negros Occidental spokesperson, said.The Negros Occidental Schools Division lacks 1,800 classrooms, he said on Thursday.Arnaez said in s...

“May you find the job that suits your talent and expertise”, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson told jobseekers who joined the World Café of Opportunities (WCO) and Job Fair at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City on Friday, August 25.Lacson and actress Sue Ramirez, representing Victoria’s Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Negros Association of Chief Executives president, joined the activity spearheaded by the provincial government in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).The activity was also held to mark TESDA’s 29th anniversary celebration and in observance of the National Technical–Vocational (Tech-Voc) Day.“This Trabaho Para sa Negrense or World Café of Opportunities is a good platform of TESDA to ensure that job opportunities and other ...

The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and GMA Kapuso Foundation inaugurated a P5.38-million hanging bridge in a Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) in Brgy. Abis, Mabinay, Negros Oriental, on Thursday, August 24.Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. led the inauguration of the 50-meter hanging steel bridge under the “Kapuso Tulay Para sa Kapayapaan Project” together with Executive Vice President and Chief Officer of GMA Foundation Rikki Escudero-Catibog, Mabinay Mayor Ernie Uy, and 3ID Commander Maj. Gen. Marion Sison.The bridge, which was built in a GIDA area, aims to restore access to essential goods, services, and livelihood opportunities for residents, the 3ID said in a press statement.The area was devastated by a typh...

Pete Pico of the Negros Consumers Watch*Allowing massive proxy voting during the plebiscite for the joint venture agreement between Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and Primelectric Holdings Inc. is “fraudulent”, a leader of the Negros Consumers Watch said Thursday, August 24.Pete Pico, at a press conference at the Negros Press Club, said massive proxy voting for CENECO consumer-members is not allowed under the National Electrification Administration rules. The voting at the plebiscite should be one man one vote, not a few persons bringing huge bags of proxy votes to the precincts, Pico said.This appears fraudulent and deceitful, he saidThey have received complaints from CENECO consumer-members that when they went to cast their votes at the precincts, they were...

The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday, August 23, said it has disbarred a Bacolod City lawyer for forging a court order and giving it to his client to make it appear that a court had ruled in a case the lawyer supposedly filed.The court in a statement said the tribunal, meeting en banc Tuesday, imposed the penalty of disbarment on Ariel Maglalang for fabricating a supposed court order dated 17 years ago in a civil case.Maglalang made it appear that he filed a petition on behalf of his client, who had originally directed him to file a petition for nullity of marriage. The lawyer, however, made it appear he filed a petition for the presumptive death of his client's wife.He also made it appear that the petition was heard and granted by Judge Ray Alan Drilon of Branch 41 of the Regio...

Four persons were arrested after allegedly robbing an individual in Brgy. 5, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, early Thursday morning, August 24, the police reported.Micheal and Francisco Toyogan, Jereco Burdago, and John Mar Sta. Ana, from Brgy. Buenavista and Brgy. Hilaitan, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, were arrested after allegedly robbing Jeffrey Quiro, 34, the police report said.The police said the four robbed Quiro of his cellphone at about 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and fled.The duty alert team and investigator of the San Carlos Police Station conducted a hot pursuit operation and spotted the suspects in Brgy. Palampas , San Carlos City.The suspects were positively identified by the victim and the responding police recovered Quiro’s phone, a .45 caliber pistol and...

Two persons were shot and hacked to death in Calatrava and Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, August 23, the police reported on Thursday.Vicente Daniel, 58, a farmer, was found dead inside his nipa hut after he was shot while he was allegedly asleep by unidentified suspects in Brgy. Bantayanon, Calatrava, early Wednesday morning.The victim sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body that caused his death, the police said.Kemark Villanueva, 26, was also found dead in Brgy. San Jose, Sipalay City, Wednesday afternoon.The victim went to a house in Purok Tabon-Tabon, Brgy. San Jose, to join a drinking session with his friends on August 18 and had not returned home.His family was informed on Wednesday that he was found dead with hack and stab wounds i...

The police confiscated P200,000 worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes and arrested two individuals at a checkpoint at the highway in Brgy. 1, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Wednesday night, August 23.The police said they flagged down a white Mitsubishi Adventure vehicle with no OR/CR.Upon their inspection, they saw 390 realms of cigarettes, and the suspects failed to show any documents declaring the legality of the cigarettes, the police said.The suspects are detained at the custodial facility of the San Carlos Police Station.*

The Department of Education Division of Negros Occidental lacks 1,800 classrooms, its spokesperson Arnold Arnaez said Thursday, August 24.Classes in public schools are set to start on Tuesday, August 29.Their latest quick count shows that 234,000 elementary and high school students have enrolled in the Negros Occidental Schools Division so far, Arnaez said.Enrollment will be until Friday but latecomers will be accommodated because of the policy that no child should be left behind, he said. There were about 300,000 students enrolled during school year 2022-2023, Arnaez said.In areas where there are a lack of classrooms, home economics buildings, libraries and even principals' offices are temporarily used, he said.The DepEd has a no uniform policy for its students, Arnae...

Thirty-five persons deprived of liberty and personnel of the Talisay City jail tested negative during surprise drug tests conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Occidental on Tuesday, August 22.The PDEA-Negros Occidental Provincial Office conducted a greyhound operation and drug testing of personnel and PDLs at the Talisay City Jail in Brgy. Matab-ang, Talisay City.The random drug testing was conducted on one jail personnel and 27 male and 7 female PDLs.Officials from the PDEA-NOCPO, Talisay City Police Station, City Health Office, and City Jail led the search and seizure in the jail facility.The PDEA found no illegal drugs during the greyhound operation.*