By ADRIAN STEWART CO The Biñan Tatak Gel Beast Motorcycle Tires GameX Mega Win routed Bacolod Masskara, 128-74, on Thursday, March 12, and boosted its playoff drive in the 2026 MPBL Preseason Invitational at One Arena, Cainta in Rizal province. Biñan led from the start and never eased up to close out their campaign in …
Monthly Archives: March 2026
SSS launches facial authentication for Annual Confirmation of Pensioners with liveness check
The Social Security System announced today the launch of a facial authentication to allow pensioners to complete the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP) requirement without visiting SSS branches. SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Jospeh M. de Claro said the system uses biometric liveness checks to verify the identity of pensioners online. “This makes …
Return to fold | Rebel remnants in Negros urged to surrender
By CESAR JOLITO III The 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army has renewed its call for remaining insurgents in Negros Island to abandon armed struggle and return to the government, stressing that decades of insurgency have only caused suffering and hindered development in local communities. According to 3ID Public Affairs Office chief Jessie …
Golden milestones, shared legacies
By Ignacio R. Bunye Fifty years is a long journey for any institution. A golden anniversary is more than a marker of endurance; it is a celebration of vision, service and the people who carried a mission forward through changing times. This week, I find myself doubly blessed to commemorate two milestones that are deeply …
Mindsets, not miniskirts
By Herman M. Lagon Some debates fade away with time. Others keep coming back, like a stain that refuses to leave a white shirt. The debate about how women dress belongs to the latter. Every few years it returns — after a celebrity remark, a viral post or a lecture that sounds more like a …
Advocacy groups back bill requiring warning labels on unhealthy food
Civil society groups and health advocates are pushing for the passage of a bill that would require front-of-pack warning labels on packaged food products in the Philippines, arguing the measure could help curb the country’s rising obesity and noncommunicable disease (NCD) crisis. The proposal, Healthy Food Marketing and Labelling Act of 2026 (House Bill 8284), …
More ground cracks found in 2 Toboso sitios
By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities conducted a follow-up assessment in a village in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town after signs of continuing ground movement were observed in areas affected by a ground depression. The Provincial Environment Management Office’s (PEMO) one-stop shop technical team carried out the inspection from March 10 to 11 in Barangay General Luna …
No 4-day workweek shift at Comelec-NegOcc
By CESAR JOLITO III The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental will not implement a four-day workweek despite rising fuel prices, opting instead to adopt energy conservation measures in compliance with the directive of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said the poll body must maintain its regular operations …
NIR prosecution office to enhance legal services
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Fredderick Vida led high-level meetings with DOJ personnel and local government officials in Bacolod City to advance the setting up of the Negros Island Region (NIR) prosecution office. The establishment of the Office of the Regional Prosecutor for the NIR aims to deliver more efficient prosecution services to the constituents …
Bacolod, police to monitor gas stations
By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya said the city government will deploy monitoring teams to oversee fuel stations in the city as concerns over rising fuel prices continue amid tensions in the Middle East. The initiative aims to ensure that gasoline retailers comply with pricing adjustments authorized by the Department of Energy …