HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. has expressed support for the sugar industry’s growing call to institutionalize clear policies on sugar importation, stressing the need to protect local farmers from falling farmgate prices. Escalante said the Negros Association of Chief Executives (ACE) has already articulated its position to the national government, …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (Confed) has appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for immediate and concrete interventions to stabilize domestic sugar and molasses prices, warning that continued inaction could trigger labor unrest and further weaken one of the country’s key agricultural industries. In a letter dated yesterday, Confed …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson ruled out the total scrapping of the One Hospital Command (OHC) System, saying the provincial government is instead focused on improving and strengthening its implementation amid mounting complaints from patients and local chief executives. Lacson acknowledged the concerns raised over the hospital referral system but …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) recorded a significant decline in focus crimes in 2025, reflecting strengthened law enforcement operations, intensified crime-prevention measures and sustained cooperation with local communities across the region. Based on consolidated crime data, incidents under the Eight Focus Crimes category fell from 1,299 …

By CESAR JOLITO III Allegations of mismanagement, corruption and lack of transparency within electric cooperatives (ECs) in Northern Negros have prompted consumer watchdog group Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) to sound the alarm on the state of the country’s cooperatives. ACCESS President Wennie Sancho said ECs are failing to uphold …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Cauayan District Hospital (CDH) denied allegations of medical neglect and lack of oxygen supply in connection with the death of a patient who was critically injured due to a gunshot on New Year’s Day, stating that all actions taken were within standard emergency medical care and were fully documented. In …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Island Region (NIR) had significantly fewer fireworks-related injuries (FWRIs) as it welcomed 2026, the Department of Health (DOH) said. DOH-NIR data showed 105 FWRIs were documented from December 21, 2025 to January 2, 2026 — a 52.6 percent decrease from last year’s 131 cases. Of the number, Negros Occidental logged …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City government warned that penalties and confiscation await vendors operating outside the city’s designated firecracker zone, reiterating strict compliance with safety and regulatory requirements for the sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnics. Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Human Resources and Development, said all members of …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Romeo Nanta Command of the New People’s Army (RNC-NPA) in South Central Negros reaffirmed its armed campaign and criticized ongoing military operations in parts of Negros Occidental while continuing tactical offensives against what it termed “legitimate targets.” In a lengthy statement on December 26, attributed to spokesperson Ka Dionesio Magbuelas, …