By CESAR JOLITO III The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has reported significant gains in crime reduction following the adoption of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) five-minute response policy while also intensifying investigations into recent killings in Negros Occidental’s Talisay City and Bacolod City. “Speed is not merely a tactical advantage. It is …
Monthly Archives: August 2025
Culture as an economic resource
By Sonny Angara The Senate’s finance committee had a hearing on the budgets of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and its attached agencies. There, I encouraged the NCCA to coordinate with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on an ongoing project to paint murals on the walls and banks along the …
There’s always hope despite whatever
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That biblical story about King Solomon who surprisingly in his old age started to worship strange gods (cfr. 1 Kings 11:4-13) reminds us that what happened to him can also happen to us. Many reasons can come to mind. For one, we may not be serious and consistent in living out …
Fear, financial constraints among leading causes of late cancer diagnosis: expert
A cancer expert said fear is one of the common reasons for Filipinos why cancer patients only have their diagnosis at the late stages of the disease. “Through my years, I’ve seen patients come to me very late on the stage and I think it’s really because of fear,” Dr. Conrado Gabriel Lorenzo, a senior …
NIR dev’t council sets road, airport upgrades as top priorities
By CESAR JOLITO III The newly reconstituted Regional Development Council of the Negros Island Region (RDC-NIR) has identified road connectivity and airport upgrades as its immediate priorities. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said RDC-NIR will focus on improving road networks between the province and Negros Oriental, along with the expansion of Siquijor Airport to …
PRO-NIR: New drug group monitored
By CESAR JOLITO III The Police Regional Office in Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) confirmed that they have monitored a new illegal drug group believed to be operating in the region. PRO-NIR Director Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay said, while the group is not based in NIR, its downlines and networks are active in Negros, raising …
LTFRB to re-survey PUJs in Bacolod
By MAE SINGUAY The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will conduct a re-survey of the public utility jeepneys (PUJs) plying in Bacolod City next month for recommendations on how many PUJs will be needed per route. “It will also include a transfer plan kun may existing na diri [nga route]. Kun sobra na, …
Police step up cyber patrol vs. selling of ‘tuklaw’ cigarettes
The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) is stepping up monitoring operations to determine the possible online selling of illegal Thuoc Lao cigarettes or “tuklaw” in the region. “We will do cyber patrolling for us to monitor if they also sell online here in Bacolod,” PRO-NIR Director Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay said in a press conference …
Over 1-K SPES youths in Bacolod, NegOcc receive P8.1-M in wages
A total of 1,014 beneficiaries of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental received wages amounting to P8.176 million for work rendered during the summer break in various local government units (LGUs) and government offices. Under the program, public sector employers hire students and out-of-school youths as temporary …
Sugar milling season to start Oct. 1
The official start of the milling season for crop year 2025-2026 is on October 1, or the Monday closest to the date, as part of the three-year transition period to return the schedule to last quarter of the year, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) announced. “However, October 1 being a Wednesday, we may declare it …