Pag-IBIG Fund is urging occupants of its acquired properties to legitimize their tenure by purchasing the homes they currently occupy, now made more affordable through a 10 percent discount under its ongoing Acquired Assets Super Sale. Buyers may choose among three available payment options, namely cash, short-term installment, or a Pag-IBIG Housing Loan. The offer …
Monthly Archives: September 2025
Absolute majority? Flood mitigation project sparks legal questions over P2-B loan
By CESAR JOLITO III The Kabankalan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved Mayor Benjie Miranda’s proposal to secure a P2-billion loan for a “flood-free” project, but the decision immediately triggered questions on its legality and raised concerns over transparency and planning. In a closely split vote, seven councilors voted in favor of the loan while six …
Losing the fight against corruption
By Ade S. Fajardo Before PBBM could lament corruption in his State of the Nation Address, there had already been reports of P142.7 billion in “bicam insertions” added in the late stages of the 2025 national budget process. The topmost beneficiary of the largess is Bulacan, home province of Senator Joel Villanueva, which is reportedly …
The summer that changed 50 lives
By Herman M. Lagon It’s not every day that you see your own students trade notebooks for filing cabinets, or pens for mop handles, with the same energy they bring to class recitations. Yet this summer, that’s exactly what I witnessed. Some of the young people I once saw nervously standing before a whiteboard became …
Panay-Guimaras-Negros bridges construction eyed to begin in 2026
By CESAR JOLITO III After decades of being shelved and revisited across multiple administrations, the long-awaited bridges that will connect the islands of Panay, Guimaras and Negros may finally break ground by 2026, according to former Senate President Franklin Drilon. Speaking at the general membership meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines on Friday, August …
Benitez slams anomalies in flood control projects, pushes for housing as alternative
By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has raised alarm over alleged anomalies in government flood control projects, blaming them for the city’s recurring flooding despite billions of pesos being poured into infrastructure works. Benitez expressed frustration that despite massive allocations, the flooding problem in Bacolod remains unresolved, with low-lying …
6 Bacolod establishments closed for lack of permits
By CESAR JOLITO III Six business establishments in Bacolod City were ordered closed on Friday, August 29, for operating without the required business permits. The Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), together with the City Legal Office, enforced the closure orders as part of a wider crackdown on 43 establishments recommended for closure. Among those …
NegOr biz chamber opposes wage hike, cites low inflation
The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NOCCI) is opposing petitions for a proposed wage increase this year, citing low inflation in the province. NOCCI President Edward Du told the Philippine News Agency on Friday, August 29, that it is unfair for the business sector to agree to a wage adjustment when the prices …
NOCPPO urges public: Dial 911 for swift response
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) is urging residents to call the revitalized 911 hotline for immediate emergency assistance. NOCPPO Provincial Director Police Colonel Rainerio de Chavez led a simulation exercise displaying swift coordination through the 911 system in delivering assistance to individuals in distress. All 31 city and municipal police stations joined the …
3 found dead in Talisay
By CESAR JOLITO III A series of grim discoveries has unsettled Negros Occidental’s Talisay City after three lifeless bodies were found separately, prompting an intensified police investigation. On Friday evening, August 29, two unidentified human bodies in an advanced state of decomposition were discovered in the parking area of the First Farmers Holding Corporation in …