By CESAR JOLITO III More than 4,000 evacuees will now be permitted to return home within Kanlaon Volcano’s six-kilometer extended danger zone following the volcano’s downgrade to Alert Level 2, signaling a general decline in volcanic activity after nearly seven months of heightened unrest. Donato Sermeno III, director of the Office of Civil Defense in the …
Monthly Archives: July 2025
‘Ngiti,’ a hit
By Dr. Joseph D. Lim “Ngiti” is a haunting ballad. “Smile,” in English, has gripped the hearts of countless fans of Ronnie Liang. It is more than just a smile for Liang who, as the Philippine Daily Inquirer describes him, “put a smile on people’s faces, even those who physically couldn’t.” Liang was part of …
Never overreact when evil comes
By Fr. Roy Cimagala The simple reason is that by overreacting, evil can get worse and can have a greater chance to have a stronger hold on us. We should stay calm and focus our attention on who can best handle any form of evil. And that can only be God. We are somehow reminded of …
Walking 7,000 steps a day a huge boost to health: research
People who walk 7,000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, the largest review of the evidence yet said. The most widely promoted target for people tracking their number of steps is 10,000 — but that figure reportedly originally came from a 1960s marketing campaign for …
Illegal floodwall demolished after salt facility order non-compliance
By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City Engineer’s Office (CEO) initiated the demolition of an illegal floodwall built by a salt storage facility in Barangay Banago following the establishment’s failure to comply with the voluntary demolition order. Mayor Greg Gasataya witnessed the demolition of the structure at Artemis Salt Corporation yesterday, backed by the Department …
Benitez raises alarm over budget inequities, calls for urgent reform in Congress
By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has raised red flags over what he calls the “alarming centralization” and lack of transparency in the 2024 and 2025 national budgets, warning that political favoritism is skewing public fund allocation away from communities that need it most. In a strongly worded statement …
Bacolod gov’t seeks public support in efforts vs. flooding
The local government of Bacolod has made an appeal to Bacolodnons amid flooding concerns in this highly urbanized city — support city government initiatives and dispose of garbage properly. Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya, in a press conference, sought the support and cooperation of the public in addressing this perennial issue that has affected at least …
NegOr cops seize P43.3M shabu in July; enhanced ops continue
The police in Negros Oriental seized some P43.3 million worth of shabu for the month of July amid sustained anti-criminality operations, an official said on Tuesday, July 29. Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), said in an interview that the latest illegal drug haul was more than P660,000 worth …
Bacolod sets MassKara Festival from Oct. 1 to 19
The vibrant spirit of Bacolod will come alive once again as the MassKara Festival 2025 officially runs from October 1 to 19, with the highlight weekend set from October 17 to 19. The schedule aligns with City Ordinance No. 9-17-820, as amended by Resolution No. 249, series of 2025. The Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc. announced …
Quezon City trounces Bacolod in MPBL
By ADRIAN STEWART CO The Quezon City Galeries Taipan trounced the Bacolod Tubo Slashers, 85-73, in the 2025 MPBL action at the Playtime FilOil Centre in San Juan City on Tuesday night, July 29. The Taipans dominated from the second quarter onwards to notch their sixth victory in 20 outings (6-14), while pushing the Tubo Slashers further …