Pag-IBIG Fund officials announced that the agency’s housing loan releases reached P140.54 billion in 2025, an 8% increase from P129.73 billion released in 2024. The agency’s home loan programs benefited 90,727 Filipino workers to buy a housing unit or finance home construction, renovation or improvement. Recently cited by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during …
Monthly Archives: January 2026
Power crunch | Negros consumer group urges clear energy roadmap
By CESAR JOLITO III A Negros-based consumer group has joined growing calls for a clear and time-bound energy roadmap for the Visayas as government projections point to a possible power supply shortfall this year. The Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) said it is backing warnings raised by the Cebu Electricity …
Aswang in UP Lantern Parade as symbol of corruption
By Dennis Gorecho Vibrant floats of Filipino folklore monsters as symbols of corruption flooded the academic oval of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman during the annual Lantern Parade last December 17, 2025. The 103-year-old tradition was kept alive as more than 30 lanterns were showcased. The College of Fine Arts’ (CFA) “Maligno sa …
‘Shut the f*** up’
By Herman M. Lagon I have heard worse words shouted in a barangay basketball game over a bad foul, and nobody called it statesmanship; they called it ordinary Saturday. So when Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson opened the Senate Blue Ribbon hearing on flood control anomalies by telling the “skeptics, detractors and hijackers” to “shut the …
Surging billionaire wealth a political threat, Oxfam warns
The collective wealth of the planet’s billionaires soared to a record level in 2025, charity Oxfam reported, warning of “highly dangerous” political consequences as the global elite gathers for the World Economic Forum (WEF). US President Donald Trump’s policies, in particular, spurred the fortunes of the ultrarich, which jumped 16.2 percent in the first year …
Secure approval first, city admin tells food donors
By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City Administrator’s Office mandated all departments and offices in the city government to secure prior approval before distributing donated food within the premises of the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) following reports of a “foreign object” allegedly found in a cup of arroz caldo on Friday, January 16. Memorandum …
Moises Padilla gets P20-M ‘Tino’ aid; mayor vows proper allocation
By CESAR JOLITO III The municipality of Moises Padilla has received a total of P20 million in financial assistance to support recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Typhoon “Tino,” Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo said. Mayor Garcia-Yulo received a P10-million check from the Negros Occidental provincial government during a turnover ceremony held at the Social Hall …
KBP raises alarm over broadcaster’s arrest
By CESAR JOLITO III The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) – Negros Occidental Chapter has expressed grave concern over the arrest of Bacolod City-based media practitioner Erwin Delilan yesterday, citing possible violations of due process and press freedom. In a statement, KBP-Negros Occidental Chairman Jeony Bigay said the organization respects the rule of …
Security guard shoots mentally ill man dead
By CESAR JOLITO III A mentally challenged man was killed in a shooting incident involving an on-duty security guard at the Kabankalan New Public Market on Monday afternoon, January 19. The victim, identified as 33-year-old alias Alim, a resident of Sitio Balisong in Kabankalan’s Barangay Orong, sustained multiple gunshot wounds during an altercation inside the …
Motorcycle rider faces raps for blocking firetruck
By CESAR JOLITO III The Land Transportation Office in the Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) has initiated legal action against a motorcycle rider who was caught on video obstructing a firetruck responding to an emergency, an incident that drew public outrage after going viral on social media. According to LTO-NIR, the widely shared Facebook video showed …