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Several areas in Northern Luzon are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 as Typhoon Francisco (international name Mekkhala) intensifies, the Philppine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Monday. June 22.In its 5 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said affected areas are Batanes, the northeastern portion of Cagayan (Gonzaga, Santa Ana) including the eastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan Is., Didicas Is., Camiguin Is.)Francisco is packing maximum sustained winds of 140 km. per hour near the center and gusts of up to 170 kph.It was located 715 km. east of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan as 4 a.m., moving west northwestward at 30 kph.The southwest monsoon (habagat) will bring strong to gale-force gusts across La Union, Pangasinan, Reg...

A proposed P250-million bridge connecting barangays Montilla and Macagahay in Moises Padilla    moved a step forward after technical personnel from the Office of Civil Defense Negros Island Region conducted a site inspection at the damaged spillway area, recently.The inspection was led by OCD-NIR Regional Director Donato Sermeno III who assessed the critical access route in Barangay Macagahay that was heavily damaged after Typhoon Tino struck on Nov. 4, 2025, a press release from Moises Padilla said Wednesday, May 27.The old overflow structure, which served as a vital link between the two barangays, was washed out during the typhoon, causing major difficulties for residents, farmers, and motorists, especially during periods of heavy flooding.The on-site inspecti...

Police arrested the Provincial No. 8 Most Wanted Person for frustrated murder in a tracking operation in Pamplona, Negros Oriental, on Thursday, Nov. 27.Pamplona Municipal Police Station personnel served the arrest warrant at Sitio Pinanlayaan, Brgy. Mangoto.Police identified the suspect as the top most-wanted at the municipal level and eighth at the provincial level.The warrant stemmed from a frustrated murder case under Criminal Case No. 2025-165 issued by Judge Christine M. Tabasuares-Aba of RTC Branch 43 in Tanjay City.Investigators said operatives conducted Oplan Tracker after receiving verified information on the suspect’s movement in the area.The suspect was brought to the Pamplona police station for custody.*

Six hundred personnel from the Coast Guard District Southern Visayas completed three batches of Basic Life Support training held in Brgy. Calindagan, Dumaguete City, from November 24 to 29.Coast Guard Nursing Service personnel facilitated the sessions in coordination with the District Staff for Education and Training.CGDSV said the training is part of efforts to strengthen the emergency response capabilities of its units.The course equipped participants with essential life-saving skills needed during maritime incidents, coastal emergencies, and humanitarian operations.The district said the initiative forms part of its continuing push to improve operational readiness and build mission-ready responders across Southern Visayas.*

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Saturday urged the faithful to join a collective act of penance and prayer after the country was struck by a series of calamities including typhoons, volcanic eruptions, fires and earthquakes.In Circular No. 25-14, CBCP president Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David asked the people to pray for the nation’s renewal, and to wear white every Sunday in October and November, as well as display white ribbons in homes, churches and public spaces.“Let our white garments be a symbol of the purity we seek for our land and our hearts. May this season of prayer and repentance lead us to hope, healing and the restoration of our common life in truth and justice,” he said.“For the past few days now, we have been experiencing terrible cal...

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City has passed a resolution requesting Mayor Greg G. Gasataya to strictly implement City Ordinance No. 641, Series of 2013, also known as the “Bacolod Anti-Smoking Regulation Ordinance.”The resolution also calls for the immediate reconvening of the Bacolod Anti-Smoking Task Force (BASTF) to strengthen enforcement, Bacolod  Councilor Caesar Distrito said on Tuesday, Sept.  9.The resolution, authored by  Distrito and co-authored by Councilors Dindo Ramos, Celia Flor, and Israel Salanga, aims to address widespread violations of anti-smoking laws.These violations include smoking in public places and public transportation, as well as non-compliance by some establishments with requirements for Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs), Dist...

Councilor Caesar Distrito*The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod has unanimously approved a resolution commending various law enforcement units for their successful operation that led to the seizure of over P8.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in Barangay Tangub.The interdiction took place in the early hours of July 2 at the Old Airport runway in Barangay Tangub, a press release from Councilor Caesar Distrito  said Thursday, July 10.It was a joint effort by the Philippine National Police–Maritime Group (4th Special Operations Unit), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group–Negros Occidental, the City Drug Enforcement Unit, the City Intelligence Unit, and the Provincial Intelligence Unit , Distrito said. Acting on intelligence reports about a motorized ...

Elections are a sacred process, not to be taken for granted, Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi”  Benitez said  on Saturday, April 5.Benitez said he  found a post encouraging betting on the outcome of the election.Benitez warned that  according to the Omnibus Election Code (Sec. 261(c)), election betting is an election offense.It carries appropriate penalties (Sec. 264) including imprisonment, disqualification from government service, and loss of the right to vote. And prosecution can still be done within five years (Sec. 267), Benitez said.“It is a time of choice, not of pride prevailing. Respect is needed for a better country,” he said.*

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran (right)*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez on Friday, March 28, denied the claim of Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran that the Bacolod City government has a P6.5 billion loan, and that its payment would drain resources that could be used for social services.“Let’s set the record straight so that the constant lying of the other party will stop,” Benitez, who is running for congressman of Bacolod, said in a press statement.Familiaran is running for mayor of Bacolod.The loan line granted to Bacolod City was only P4.1B, and based on the record, and what was availed of by the city from the Development Bank of the Philippines for various projects is only P2.05B at this point in time, Benitez said.T...

 Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez will lead the groundbreaking of the P160 million  Recovery and Recycling Complex  and Ecopark  at the  Bacolod Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Felisa this morning, March 12.The project aims to address the city's growing waste management challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions, a press release from the city government said.The project  will maximize the recovery of recyclable materials, reduce landfill waste, and ensure the proper processing and recycling of recovered resources, it said.It aims to promote environmental sustainability through incentivized waste segregation and the reinforcement of circular economy programs.The  Recovery and Recycling Center will cover a 33.13-hectare s...