By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) has initiated a full-scale investigation into the armed encounter between government forces and alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) that resulted in the death of a six-year-old boy in Moises Padilla’s Barangay Quintin Remo. In a statement yesterday, NOCPPO Director Colonel Dennis Wenceslao assured …
Monthly Archives: October 2025
A national failure in classroom construction
By Ignacio R. Bunye The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has delivered a performance so dismal, it borders on the absurd. Out of 1,700 classrooms targeted for completion this year, only 22 have been finished. That’s not a typo — it’s a completion rate of just 1.29 percent. With less than three months …
Luck or logic
By Herman M. Lagon Superstitions, a fundamental part of Filipino culture, live in daily routines, whether skipping the ladder on a sidewalk or avoiding that rogue black cat (my neighbors call it “kuring mundo”) on a misty night. To the casual observer, these practices might seem a little odd, even amusing. But here’s the catch: …
Bago City ensures safe water supply amid Kanlaon ashfall concerns
By CESAR JOLITO III The Bago City government is intensifying efforts to ensure the safety of its residents’ drinking water following the recent ashfall and eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, as authorities continue to deliver potable supply to affected communities in Barangay Mailum. Dr. Merijene Ortizo, head of the Bago Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, …
6 jeepney drivers test positive for drug use
By CESAR JOLITO III Six public utility vehicle drivers in Bacolod City tested positive for illegal drug use following a surprise and random drug test at the North Bound Terminal yesterday as part of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the Negros Island Region’s Oplan Biyaheng Ayos! Undas Campaign, which aims to ensure the safety …
Full reactivation of installed security cameras ordered
By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya has directed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) to fully activate all security cameras across major areas in the city as part of efforts to enhance surveillance, traffic management and crime prevention. “Reactivating these cameras is a top priority for us. They play a …
Kanlaon spews ash anew
Ash emissions were reported at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said yesterday afternoon. Phivolcs said the emission occurred from 12:37 p.m. to 12:57 p.m. yesterday. “This event generated grayish plumes that rose up to 300 meters above the crater before drifting to the general west as …
Ethanol leak hurts 4,000 fisherfolk livelihoods in Bais, Manjuyod
By CESAR JOLITO III More than 4,000 fisherfolks in Negros Oriental’s Bais City and Manjuyod town have been affected by a massive fish kill after an ethanol leak from a distillery plant spilled into the Tañon Strait. The spill devastated the livelihoods of around 2,000 fisherfolks in eight coastal barangays in Bais and another 2,000 …
DTI-6: Prices of candles, bottled water remain stable this Undas
The Department of Trade and Industry in Western Visayas (DTI-6) assured the public that prices of candles and bottled water are stable and supplies are adequate to meet the demand of consumers during the Undas period. Regional Director Ma. Dinda Tamayo, in a press conference yesterday, said they are focusing on the two commodities that …
Pastrana, UST clinch UAAP Final 4 slot
By ADRIAN STEWART CO The University of Santo Tomas (UST) Growling Tigresses clinched the first Final 4 berth in the UAAP Season 88 women’s basketball tournament after a dominant 95-66 victory over the Adamson University Lady Falcons at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Wednesday, October 29. Behind the combined brilliance …