By CESAR JOLITO III The Police Regional Office in Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to expedite the investigation into the fatal shooting of a 73-year-old American national and the wounding of his Filipino partner inside their house in Negros Oriental’s Sibulan town. SITG Carpenter was formed to oversee …
Monthly Archives: July 2026
‘Tengang kawali’ syndrome on fake news
By Dennis Gorecho “Tengang kawali” is a popular Tagalog idiom that literally translates to “cooking pan ear.” It describes a person who plays deaf, pretends not to hear or deliberately ignores what others are saying or advising. It is likened to a person’s inability to listen despite standing close to a frying pan. Three plays …
Every prompt has a price
By Herman M. Lagon A teacher friend recently showed me at Starbucks how he prepares exams these days. No stacks of books. No late-night writing sessions. Just a laptop, an AI tool and a cup of coffee. By the time the brew was warm enough to enjoy, the first draft was finished. Around the same …
Protecting the protectors: Racing to save mangroves
Standing knee-deep in coastal waters, environmentalist Andrea Pimentel guides workers as they drive bamboo poles into the seabed to block sediment from choking the tidal channel sustaining a mangrove forest. Mangroves are a key natural defense against storm surges and coastal erosion in the Philippines, which is hit by around 20 typhoons each year. But …
House panel advances AI bill balancing innovation, regulation
By CESAR JOLITO III A proposed measure seeking to establish a national framework for the development and regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the Philippines is gaining ground in the House of Representatives, with lawmakers emphasizing innovation while imposing safeguards on high-risk AI applications. Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez, who chairs …
Bacolod blames silted waterways, overflowing creeks for flooding
By CESAR JOLITO III Silted waterways, overflowing creeks and inadequate drainage infrastructure were identified as the primary causes of flooding in parts of Barangays Pahanocoy and Cabug following heavy rains that hit Bacolod City on Monday night, July 13. The findings came after Mayor Greg Gasataya ordered the Bacolod City Engineer’s Office (CEO) to inspect …
Bacolod-Silay airport revives ‘free sleepover’ for stranded passengers
By CESAR JOLITO III Stranded passengers at the Bacolod-Silay Airport can once again avail themselves of free temporary accommodation as the management revived its “Sleepover sa Paliparan” program following the donation of a new nipa hut. Police Major Deejay Domingo, chief of the Bacolod-Silay Airport Police Station under the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, …
NegOr police to hold shooter, bomb threat drills in schools
The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO) is set to conduct active shooter and bomb threat drills in schools across the province to prepare students, teachers and school personnel for emergencies. NORPPO spokesperson Captain Stephen Jaynard Polinar said the drills aim to equip school communities with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively to …
Cadiz’s sweet corn pinakbet to represent NIR in cook-off
By CESAR JOLITO III Cadiz City’s signature Pinakbet Mais-aya will represent the Negros Island Region (NIR) in the national finals of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) “Walang Gutom” Program Kusinero Cook-Off Challenge in Manila on Friday, July 17. The winning dish, prepared by Cadizeña cooks 64-year-old Teresita Villegas and her niece, 51-year-old …
Nacusip-TUCP urges direct cash aid for RSSI-hit farmers
By CESAR JOLITO III The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Nacusip-TUCP) called on local government units in the Negros Island Region (NIR) to provide direct cash assistance and crop subsidies to farmers affected by the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation, while …