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Jul282026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Marcos monitoring RSSI, blue crab issues affecting Negros, Palace says

Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos* Mark Garcia photoMANILA – Malacañang assured Negrenses that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is closely monitoring two major issues affecting Negros Occidental’s agriculture and fisheries sector, the spread of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) in sugarcane farms and the United States’ restrictions on Philippine blue swimming crab exports.Cabinet Secretary Benhur Abalos said Tuesday, July 28, that President Marcos has been regularly updated on both concerns.“I have heard the problems about the pest and the blue crab. The President is on top of this,” Abalos said during an interview in Malacañang.He added that his office will coordinate with the concerned government agencies to follow up the issues.“Our office will try to follow up on...

Jul282026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Comelec ready for barangay, SK polls in November

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Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria.*Commission on Elections preparations for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Nov. 2 are ongoing, and it is all systems go.They have already finished verifying the voters' list, and election officers are visiting schools that will serve as polling centers, Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said on Tuesday, July 28.Yellow ballot boxes are being prepared for the BSKE, as votes will be counted manually, Ananoria said.The filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) will run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5, while the campaign period will be from Oct. 22 to 31.He warned candidates who have filed their COCs against premature campaigning, noting that offenses could lead to disqualificat...

Jul282026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

NACUSIP-TUCP hits SONA’s silence on wages, sugar industry crisis

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Genrick Humprey Morales of APSU, Arthur Juego of KILUSAN, Roland de la Cruz of NACUSIP, Susanita Tesiorna of ALLWEIS, Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, TUCP President and Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Cañete Mendoza, Eli Bautista of PALEA, Tem Dejon OF AWATU and Arturo Basea of FUR (l-r) attended the SONA on Monday.*NACUSIP TUCP photoThe National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP) issued a mixed assessment of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA), praising its immediate economic relief measures while criticizing the administration's silence on wage stagnation and ongoing troubles in the sugar sector.NACUSIP-TUCP National President Roland de la Cruz commended the executive branch's directives aimed...

Jul282026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Lacson commends Marcos’ focus on accountability, social welfare, sovereignty

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Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.*Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Tuesday, July 28, expressed support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), commending the chief executive’s emphasis on government accountability, socio-economic support, and national sovereignty.Lacson highlighted the importance of acknowledging the economic challenges everyday citizens face amid shifting global circumstances and inflation."I appreciate the President’s commitment to accountability and his recognition of the difficulties that many of our people continue to face, from the rising cost of living to the uncertainties brought about by global events," Lacson said."This awareness is important as we work to ensure that the progress we have achieved is felt ...

Jul282026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Zubiri aims for lower electricity rates by December

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Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri*The Senate will prioritize amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001 to lower electricity prices in the Philippines, hopefully by December, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri reiterated on Tuesday, July 28.“We’ll try to make it a Christmas gift for everyone, so hopefully by December we will be able to pass the legislation” to finally prohibit charging consumers for system losses, including the value-added tax (VAT) imposed on them, he said.“It will be a big boost in terms of discounting electricity bills,” Zubiri said.President Ferdinand Marcos, in his State of the Nation Address on Monday, said it is his view “that it is time to remove the system loss that is being passed on to consumers. This is b...

Jul282026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Minor arrested in Escalante drug bust, mother faces charges after allegedly assaulting police officer

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The arrest of the minor in Escalante City.*PNP photoA 15-year-old boy was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, on Monday, July 27, while his mother now faces multiple charges after she allegedly assaulted a police officer in an attempt to obstruct the arrest.The primary drug suspect, identified only by the alias “Jam,” 39, remains at large.Lt. Col. Florendo Fajardo, Escalante police chief, said the operation was conducted by the Station Drug Enforcement Team at around 6:19 p.m. in Brgy. Balintawak.Police alleged that the minor conspired with “Jam” and handed a sachet of suspected shabu to an undercover officer in exchange for marked money.During the operation, the boy’s mother, identified only by the alias “Wela,” 49, allege...

Jul282026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Gasataya strengthens public school security with donation of 200 metal detectors

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Mayor Greg Gasataya turned over 200 handheld metal scanners to the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office of Bacolod City, led by Schools Division Superintendent Dennis Develos, on Tuesday, July 28. Gasataya said the devices were donated by private individuals and organizations while the city prepares to procure additional security equipment, including handheld and walk-through metal detectors, to further strengthen safety measures in public schools.“We are fortunate and grateful that private groups and individuals donated these handheld metal detectors, which we immediately turned over to DepEd for distribution to our public schools,” Gasataya said.The mayor emphasized that the donation forms part of the city government’s continuing efforts to provide a s...

Jul282026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Seven fishermen apprehended for illegal fishing in Binalbagan

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Seven fishermen were apprehended during a seaborne patrol for allegedly using active fishing gear in the municipal waters of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, early Monday, July 27.The Binalbagan police said the operation was conducted at around 4 a.m. in the coastal waters of Brgy. San Juan by the Bantay Dagat PNCO and the Bantay Dagat Task Force.Authorities intercepted four fishing boats identified as F/B “Johnny,” F/B “JM,” F/B “Bitoy,” and F/B “Marianne-4.”The apprehended fishermen were residents of Hinigaran and Himamaylan City.Police said they were cited for the alleged use of active fishing gear in municipal waters in violation of Section 41 of Municipal Ordinance No. 12-02, Series of 2012.Recovered during the operation were four trawling nets with an es...

Jul282026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Farmer found dead in Kabankalan

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A 56-year-old farmer was found dead at a farmland in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Monday, July 27, with authorities awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.Police identified the victim only by the alias “Bernard,” a married farmer and resident of Brgy. Camingawan.According to the Kabankalan Component City Police Station, barangay officials reported the discovery of the body at around 9 a.m. in Purok Cadlum, Brgy. Camingawan.Initial investigation showed that the victim and his son were plowing their farmland on Sunday, July 26, before stopping work at around 4 p.m.The son went home while the victim stayed behind to pasture their carabao.Police said the family became concerned after the victim failed to return home...

Jul282026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Bacolod gov’t should fund equipment for hospital: Zubiri

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Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Tuesday, July 28, that the Bacolod City government and the Department of Health should allocate the funds for the Bacolod City General Hospital's equipment.He said the additional ₱100 million released for the hospital's construction this year is the last of his allocations through institutional amendments toward its completion.The amount brings total allocations for the project to about ₱500 million, he added.“I told them [the Department of Public Works and Highways] I don’t want an overpriced building,” he said.Zubiri added that he hopes the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the hospital will take place by the end of this year or during the first quarter of 2027.Meanwhile, Zubiri announced that during the 2026 MassKara ...