By Herman M. Lagon There are government programs that look good in press releases and disappear the moment the camera leaves. The Doctors to the Barrios (DTTB) program is not one of them. It has survived because the need has never left. In 1993, then Health Secretary Juan Flavier started DTTB to send physicians to …
Monthly Archives: March 2026
The mercies of God
By Fr. Roy Cimagala That lamentation of Christ because some people did not ask for forgiveness for their sins in spite of the many blessings given to them (cfr. Matthew 11:20-24) should strongly remind us that no matter how sinful and helplessly wretched we feel we are, God is always eager to forgive us if …
‘Happy (and safe) shooting!’: Study says AI chatbots help plot attacks
From school shootings to synagogue bombings, leading AI chatbots helped researchers plot violent attacks, according to a study that highlighted the technology’s potential for real-world harm. Researchers from the nonprofit watchdog Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) and CNN posed as 13-year-old boys in the United States and Ireland to test 10 chatbots, including ChatGPT, …
Nacusip-TUCP wants SRA to explain sugar price drop
By CESAR JOLITO III A major labor group in the sugar sector called for greater transparency and leadership changes within the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) amid the recent decline in sugar prices. In a statement, the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Nacusip-TUCP) …
Confed bucks new biofuel bill amendments
By CESAR JOLITO The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (Confed) has strongly opposed a proposed substitute Senate bill seeking to amend the Biofuels Act of 2006, warning it could further harm the country’s struggling sugar industry. In a letter dated March 18, Confed President Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama urged Senate President Vicente Sotto III to reject …
Full-time pharmacists boost health services
The presence of full-time public pharmacists in all the health units of Negros Occidental is seen to improve the delivery of healthcare services to Negrenses. Under the provincial government’s pharmacist-deployment program, all the 31 local government units (LGUs) are now staffed with full-time pharmacists, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) report showed. “To fully equip our …
Alvarez backs DOH plan to link Sipalay hospital with CLMMRH
By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental 6th District Representative Mercedes Alvarez has expressed strong support for the proposal of the Department of Health (DOH) to allow the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) to operate the Merceditas J. Montilla District Hospital (MJMDH) in Sipalay City as an annex facility. In a statement, Alvarez said …
Bacolod eyes more fire auxiliary groups
Bacolod City is eyeing organizing more community fire auxiliary groups (CFAGs) in the barangays as it observes Fire Prevention Month. Only 16 out of the city’s 61 barangays have CFAGs, data from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) showed. Fire Officer 2 Paul Servano, public information officer of BFP-Bacolod City Fire Station, said in an …
Radio announcer shot dead
A community FM radio announcer was shot dead outside his house at Barangay Sag-ang in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town yesterday. Police identified the victim as Jaz Calo, a resident of Lapak Kawayanan in the village. In a radio interview with a tricycle driver who called for police assistance after Calo was shot, the victim …
High fuel prices threaten Negros tourism, Panaad Festival turnout
By CESAR JOLITO III The continued increase in fuel prices is expected to affect tourism activity in Negros Occidental, including attendance at the upcoming 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival in April, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said. Lacson noted that higher transportation costs may discourage domestic travel, particularly among local tourists who typically drive to destinations …