By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City has officially launched Oplan Kontra Baha yesterday, a citywide campaign to declog rivers, creeks and drainage systems as part of an intensified effort to prevent flooding and improve water management. Five days into the program, city officials report that 21 percent of the target volume of debris has already …
Monthly Archives: December 2025
NegOcc braces for ‘Wilma’
Local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental have been ordered to preemptively evacuate their residents living in high-risk areas due to the threat of Tropical Depression “Wilma.” Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, in an executive order, directed that flood, landslide and storm surge-prone areas be vacated to secure lives and property amid the new weather disturbance. …
Party-list reform is long overdue
By Herman M. Lagon There are political questions that skim the surface, and there are those that land heavily because they mirror what many of us have long felt. After a coffee break with former co-teachers, a fellow educator quietly asked why the party-list system now feels like a reunion of familiar surnames rather than …
Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight
By Fr. Roy Cimagala On this 2nd Sunday of Advent, we are reminded of these words of the Prophet Isaiah as recorded in the gospel of St. Matthew (3:3). These are words that should always be on our minds and, in fact, made as a guiding principle of our whole life. And the simple reason …
P10-M aid for La Castellana has specific spending rules: VM
By CESAR JOLITO III La Castellana Vice Mayor Alme Rhummyla “Mhai” Nicor-Mangilimutan clarified that the P10 million financial assistance extended by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to the municipality comes with specific guidelines on how the funds must be used, amid public confusion over its allocation. Nicor-Mangilimutan said the amount — turned over during Marcos’ visit …
DENR orders 132 families to vacate Kanlaon zone
By CESAR JOLITO III The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Negros Island Region (DENR-NIR) is seeking the voluntary relocation of residents living inside the strict protection zone of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park (MKNP), following the destructive flashfloods and landslides triggered by Typhoon “Tino” on November 4. DENR-NIR Regional Executive Director Charlie Fabre said …
‘Tino’ trauma causes residents to flee homes early
By CESAR JOLITO III Some residents are already heading to evacuation centers on their own, most likely due to trauma from Typhoon “Tino” in November, as local authorities and disaster response teams in Negros Occidental are ramping up preparations for Tropical Depression “Wilma” this weekend. “Just because ‘Wilma’ might not directly pass through your area …
Ports readied ahead of ‘Wilma’
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) yesterday announced the cancellation of all voyages at several ports nationwide due to inclement weather brought by Tropical Depression “Wilma.” In an advisory, the PPA said all trips have been cancelled at Port Management Office (PMO) Bohol, PMO Eastern Leyte/Samar, PMO Western Leyte/Biliran, PMO Surigao, PMO Misamis Occidental/Ozamis, PMO Negros …
CHR assures NegOr media of stronger safety nets via action plan
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday assured media practitioners in Negros Oriental that their concerns will be addressed as it advances the Philippine Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists. Marc Louis Siapno, head of the CHR’s Strategic Communication Division, said at a stakeholders’ dialogue here that he would raise the concerns of …
Farmer hacked to death
By CESAR JOLITO III A 67-year-old farmer was repeatedly hacked to death by a neighbor at Barangay San Rafael in Negros Occidental’s Hinoba-an town on Thursday afternoon, December 4. Hinoba-an police said the incident occurred at around 2:50 p.m. while the victim was inside his home. Investigators said the suspect, identified only as 41-year-old alias …