By CESAR JOLITO III The Cauayan municipal government prepares to formally declare the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) persona non grata following a deadly encounter that left five alleged rebel leaders dead in a recent military operation. Local officials said the move underscores the town’s firm stance against armed conflict …
Monthly Archives: May 2026
NTF-ELCAC alarmed over youth ‘terror grooming’
By CESAR JOLITO III The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) renewed its warning against alleged communist rebel recruitment among the youth following the death of former student leader Vince Francis Dingding during an armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town on Saturday, May 16. In a statement, NTF-ELCAC described Dingding’s …
Towards a more inclusive education system
By Sonny Angara The Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the “Inclusive Education” Act, which aims to institutionalize a policy of inclusion and services for learners with disabilities (LWD) across the country’s education sector. The measure languished in the legislative mill for many years. No less than my late father, former Senate President …
The temporal aspect of the Church’s mission
By Fr. Roy Cimagala Given the obvious fact that the Church has to carry out its spiritual and supernatural mission in an earthly and temporal setting, it behooves everyone of us in the Church, both clerics and lay who should work in the spirit of coordinated and synergized synodality, to see to it that we …
WHO declares int’l emergency as Ebola outbreak kills more than 80 in DR Congo
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international health emergency on Sunday, May 17, over an outbreak of an Ebola strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has killed more than 80 and for which there is no vaccine. Fears of further spread grew when a laboratory on Sunday confirmed a case in …
Persons living with HIV call for end to discrimination
By CESAR JOLITO III Persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) in Bacolod City renewed calls to end discrimination and stigma as the community commemorated victims of HIV through a candlelight memorial ceremony held at a mall in the city. One of the advocates, identified as alias “Jhade,” shared the challenges faced by PLHIV, including …
Farmers push for Dacongcogon sugar mill revival
By CESAR JOLITO III Thousands of farmers in southern Negros are calling on Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Director-General Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez to take immediate steps toward the long-delayed revival of the Dacongcogon Sugar Mill project, which they describe as a key driver for economic recovery and peacebuilding in insurgency-affected communities. In …
Army belies ‘massacre’ claims
The Philippine Army (PA) dismissed claims made by militant groups alleging that the April 19 encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental was a massacre conducted by government troops against individuals helping farmers on their land rights. “The army recognizes the sensitivity of the incident and respects the right of concerned groups and families to seek clarification. …
NPA claims farmer’s death
By CESAR JOLITO III A unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility for the killing of a 53-year-old farmer at Barangay Minautok in Negros Occidental’s Calatrava town, on May 13, in an incident now being investigated by authorities. Police identified the victim only by the alias “Gerry,” who was reportedly inside his …
Malogo bulk water project to benefit 40-K households
The Negros Occidental provincial government is eyeing to serve 40,000 households in three local government units under the proposed Negros Bulk Water Supply Project (NBWSP) – Malogo River in E.B. Magalona town. As of yesterday, details of the proposal are outlined in the environmental impact statement summary for the public (ESP) provided by the Department …