HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III While some families affected by Typhoon “Tino” have begun rebuilding their lives, hundreds of residents in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town remain displaced more than a month after the storm, underscoring the scale of destruction and the long road to recovery in the municipality. Mayor Anejo Nicor disclosed that 390 families …

By CESAR JOLITO III The continued collapse of sugar prices is tightening its grip on Negros Occidental, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of small farmers and farmworkers and raising fears of broader economic and social consequences on sugar-dependent communities in the province. Local leaders and industry groups warned that unless immediate interventions are implemented, the …

By CESAR JOLITO III President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. emphasized that sustained cleaning, dredging and waste removal in major urban waterways in Bacolod City will significantly reduce flooding by 60 percent, marking a major push in the intensified implementation of Oplan Kontra Baha during his visit in the city yesterday. Marcos’ visit underscores the national government’s …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government has not received any formal opposition from the Silay City government regarding the proposed P1.1-billion bulk water supply project, and it is premature to conclude that residents are rejecting it, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said. Diaz clarified that public consultations are still underway following reports that …

By CESAR JOLITO III A long-term, citywide strategy to end chronic flooding in Bacolod City is now taking shape as local and national stakeholders gathered yesterday for the 2nd Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit — an event highlighted by Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez’s call for a “blueprint for the next generation.” The summit, held two months …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City is moving closer to crafting its first comprehensive flood mitigation masterplan as government agencies, civil society groups and technical experts convene today for the 2nd Bacolod Flood Mitigation Summit, an initiative aimed at ending years of chronic flooding in the rapidly growing city. The summit, spearheaded by Bacolod Lone District …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has confirmed that no major drug syndicates or illegal drug manufacturers are currently operating within the city, even as authorities acknowledge that the city remains a strategic transshipment point in the region’s drug supply chain. BCPO director Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica warned that Bacolod continues …

  By CESAR JOLITO III Community resistance to the Negros Occidental provincial government’s proposed bulk water supply project remains firm, as residents in Silay City reiterated serious doubts about the plan’s feasibility and long-term impact despite an extensive public hearing held last week. Silay Vice Mayor Tom Ledesma said the discussions revealed a “consistent and deeply …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City has officially launched Oplan Kontra Baha yesterday, a citywide campaign to declog rivers, creeks and drainage systems as part of an intensified effort to prevent flooding and improve water management. Five days into the program, city officials report that 21 percent of the target volume of debris has already …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered the immediate preemptive evacuation of residents in high-risk areas across the province following the entry of Tropical Depression “Wilma” into the Philippine area of responsibility, which is expected to cross the Negros Island Region (NIR) this weekend. Through Executive Order No. 25-28, city and …