By CESAR JOLITO III Allegations of mismanagement, corruption and lack of transparency within electric cooperatives (ECs) in Northern Negros have prompted consumer watchdog group Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) to sound the alarm on the state of the country’s cooperatives. ACCESS President Wennie Sancho said ECs are failing to uphold …
Monthly Archives: January 2026
VAT-free medicines
By Sonny Angara Just before the year ended, the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Health (DOH), the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a joint administrative order that basically allowed many Filipinos to greet the new year on a more positive note. Said order — with …
Let our hope spring eternal
By Fr. Roy Cimagala We all have reason to be always hopeful and even optimistic despite the ugliest fears and worries we may have in our life. And that reason can only be that we can always count on God who is all powerful. Not only that, he truly cares for us, though in ways …
Urgent action needed to respond to global health financing emergency —WHO
Urgent action is required to address a growing global crisis in financing vital health systems, as countries grapple with towering debt and plummeting aid, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The United Nations agency launched guidance for countries on how to counter the immediate and long-term effects of the sudden and severe cuts to external …
No sugar order amid low prices: guv
By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday that no sugar order has been issued so far, as the local sugar industry continues to struggle with low prices and stalled milling operations in the province. Lacson said he consulted industry stakeholders after returning from a two-week absence and was informed that …
NOCPPO seizes over P45-M drugs in 2025
By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO) reported the confiscation of more than P45 million worth of illegal drugs following the successful completion of its intensified anti-illegal drugs campaign in 2025. NOCPPO spokesperson Police Captain Judesses Catalogo said police units across the province carried out a total of 1,151 anti-drug operations …
Lacson highlights 2025 gains, sets 2026 agenda
By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson opened the work year with a message of gratitude, reflection and resolve during the first flag ceremony and Holy Mass at the Provincial Capitol yesterday. In his New Year address to provincial government employees, Lacson thanked God for a fresh start and praised the workforce …
LTO-NIR heightens road safety enforcement, PUJ driver fails drug test
A public utility jeepney (PUJ) driver in this city tested positive for illegal drug use during a surprise test of 101 drivers as part of Oplan Harabas, a joint inter-agency law enforcement operation, at the Bacolod South Terminal yesterday. In a statement, Land Transportation Office – Negros Island Region (LTO-NIR) Director Jeck Conlu said they …
Woman uses sari-sari store to sell ‘shabu’
By CESAR JOLITO III A 30-year-old woman was reportedly using her sari-sari store as a front for selling illegal drugs following the confiscation of P782,000 worth of suspected shabu in Bacolod City’s Barangay 10 on Sunday, January 4. The operation, conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit of the Bacolod City Police Office, targeted the …
NegOr gov’t warns vs. spreading fake news on class suspensions
The Negros Oriental provincial government called on netizens to stop spreading unverified information, especially on class suspensions, to avoid undue confusion. This comes after alleged fake news spread on social media quoting Governor Manuel Sagarbarria as having declared a province-wide suspension of classes due to extreme weather conditions and heavy rainfall that resulted in flooding …