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Region 6's Bacolod Tay Tung High School secured victory in the Palarong Pambansa Secondary Girls' Volleyball Championship.*DepEd Western Visayas photoThe National Capital Region (NCR) won four gold medals in taekwondo and three in arnis on Friday, August 4, to regain the No. 1 spot in the overall medal tally of the ongoing 2023 Palarong Pambansa in Marikina City.As of 7:30 p.m. Friday NCR had 67 gold medals, 64 silvers and 45 bronzes, while Western Visayas (Region 6) slid back to second place with 50 golds, 36 silvers and 31 bronzes.Western Visayas bagged three gold medals coming from the elementary boys and girls, and secondary boys’ 4x100m relay in the athletics competition at the Marikina Sports CenterRegion 6's Bacolod Tay Tung High School also secured victory in the Pa...

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito*Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said on Friday, August 4, that he has not set the date for the Senate Committee on Local Government hearing on the bill seeking the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) yet.The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking the creation of the NIR composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, and the passage of a counterpart measure in the Senate is needed for it to become a law.“Given the events in Negros Oriental and now there is a new governor again, let them settle down first then we will call for a hearing,” Ejercito told DIGICAST NEGROS.“These events are beyond our control”, he said.“We have to be fair and get the position of Negros Oriental also,” Ejercito said.Negros Ori...

There have been nine suspected leptospirosis, six dengue and four cholera deaths in Negros Occidental this year, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported Friday, August 4.There were 23 suspected leptospirosis cases in Negros Occidental, with nine deaths from January 1 to July 29, a report from Dr. Girlie Pinongan, OIC Provincial Health Officer, said.The deaths were in Murcia – 4, Silay City – 2, and Kabankalan City, Sipalay City, and Salvador Benedicto - 1 each.The top 10 LGUs with suspected leptospirosis cases are Murcia – 9, Talisay City - 8, Kabankalan City and Silay City – 7 each, Himamaylan City – 6, Sipalay City, Salvador Benedicto and Victorias City – 5 each, and EB Magalona and Sagay City - 4 each.The 20 to 30 years old age group had the most number of cases....

Barangay Captain Joseph Delos Santos*“It's a sad day indeed but life must go on,” Bacolod Barangay Captain Joseph Delos Santos said on Friday, August 4, following his suspension for another six months.“I'm signing off in my political career but not in serving my people,” he said in a Facebook post.The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on Wednesday suspended him as Barangay 16 captain for another six months for gross neglect of duty for five unjustified consecutive absences from barangay sessions in violation of the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991.De los Santos said it was his third suspension.“I am humbled by this setback in my life but it will not stop me from dreaming of a happy ending in my struggle. Thank you to all those people who believe in me and wh...

Representatives of the micro-enterprises in Bacolod City who received the livelihood assistance with Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and City Department of Social Services and Development head Sally Abelarde *Three micro-enterprises in Bacolod City are recipients of P1.245 million in livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).These include the Mabandata 110 Unload Association, South Women's Association, and Mainuswagon Mavistafehan Association, a report on Friday, August 4, showed.“The funding assistance will contribute to the growth and success of the beneficiaries’ respective livelihood ventures, making a positive impact on the local economy and the lives of those involved,” said the city’s Depar...

The Balay Negrense, Negros Occidental’s first lifestyle museum located on the historic Cinco de Noviembre Street in Silay City.*The famous Balay Negrense museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental, will undergo rehabilitation and renovation after its care and preservation was formally turned over by the Negros Cultural Foundation Inc. (NCFI) to the provincial government.“The provincial government will now manage the maintenance and renovation of the house, given the responsibility of preserving the shared heritage,” the provincial government said in a statement on Friday, August 4.In rites at the Governor’s Office on Thursday, NCFI president Lyn Gamboa presented to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II a roof garden baluster from Balay Negrens...

PCol. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, said when I get evidence against them I will arrest all of them.*Voluntarily surrender now or face police investigation and arrest.That was the warning of PCol. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, on Friday, August 4, to the 49 job order workers and four regular employees of the Bacolod City government who tested positive for drugs.“They should voluntarily surrender to me so they can undergo rehabilitation,” Aliño said.They should also disclose where they got their drugs, he said.“We will not force them to surrender but we will conduct police operations against them,” he said.Aliño said “they are now under surveillance and investigation. When I get evidence against them I will arrest all of them”.The 49 JO workers and ...

A woman was found dead near a creek in Brgy. 1, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, August 3.She was identified as Erma Rose Higtenta, 41, from Bacolod City and temporarily residing in San Carlos, the police said.Lt. Col. Jesus Mesahon, San Carlos City police chief, told DIGICAST NEGROS that there were reports that the victim was allegedly tagged for involvement in scamming operations and the illegal drug trade.These allegations are still being investigated, he said.Residents reportedly heard a gunshot before the victim was found dead but the police did not recover any empty bullet shells.Mesahon said that a medico-legal examination will be conducted on the body of the victim.*

The police arrested the 8th most wanted person in Western Visayas in Brgy. Camalanda-an, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, August 1.Arrested was Rolly Gutang, 27, of Sitio Lupni, Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, the Police Community Affairs and Development Group-Western Visayas said in a statement Thursday, August 3.The police served a warrant of arrest against the suspect for an alleged murder case with no bail recommended.Regional Trial Court Judge Rodney Magbanua issued the warrant against Gutang on July 18 this year.Officers from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Bacolod City Maritime Police Station led the arrest of Gutang.The suspect is now under the custody of the CIDG in Negros Occidental.*

Daily pig deaths from various diseases in Negros Occidental remained at a single digit for a third day on Thursday, August 3.There were two deaths reported in Kabankalan City and three in Cauayan on Thursday, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The Provincial Animal Biosecurity Incident Management Team (PABIMT) is continuing to implement measures to keep the pig deaths down, he said.There are now 1,593 pig houses in affected local government units that have been decontaminated and readied for re-population as soon as practicable, Diaz said.This is subject to laboratory RT-PCR testing to finally determine if there are still Hog Cholera or African swine fever viruses in affected areas, he said.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said as long as they can so...