HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities in the Negros Island Region (NIR) are on heightened alert as Severe Tropical Storm “Opong” and the enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat are expected to bring heavy rainfall that may trigger flooding and landslides across Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental. The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-NIR placed the region under red …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Council of Concerned Citizens (C3) has raised serious questions over the transparency, necessity and quality of P11 billion worth of flood control projects in Bacolod City, following an independent inspection and review of completed structures. On Monday, September 22, 24 C3 inspectors, joined by representatives from the Department of Public Works …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson backed the calls of Negrenses and other Filipinos who joined the nationwide Trillion Peso March on Sunday, September 21, stressing that the protest was a powerful message against corruption and budget insertions tied to alleged ghost projects in the national budget. “The message is clear — the Filipinos …

By CESAR JOLITO III Thousands of Negrenses marched through the streets of Bacolod City yesterday, joining the nationwide “Trillion Peso March” — a protest action against corruption that, organizers said, has robbed generations of opportunities and continues to weaken the country’s democratic institutions. According to Fr. Mao Buenafe of the Concerned Council Citizens, around 5,000 …

By CESAR JOLITO III A brewing debate over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Negros Occidental has intensified after San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza joined groups opposing the proposed ordinance that would lift the province’s 18-year ban on GMO crops. Alminaza warned that the GMO ordinance would mainly benefit “profit-oriented millionaires or billionaires” while exposing small …

By CESAR JOLITO III Major transport groups in Bacolod City, joined by progressive organizations, staged a protest action at the Bacolod City Government Center Replica yesterday to commemorate the first anniversary of what they described as the “unjust arrest” of local transport leaders and the “water cannon incident” that took place in front of a hotel. The …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City government unveiled a long-term plan to provide permanent housing for the 295 families displaced by the recent fire that gutted a residential area in Barangay 27. Speaking during a consultation with survivors at the Bacolod City Government Center, Mayor Greg Gasataya assured residents that the city government is working toward …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson described as “bad news” the decision of the South Korean government to suspend the P28.7-billion feasibility study on several rural bridge projects in the Philippines, which may directly impact the long-awaited Panay-Guimaras-Negros (PGN) Bridge. “Definitely, it is not good news. Again, it will delay the aspiration …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez has openly opposed the proposed genetically modified organism (GMO) regulatory ordinance being deliberated by the provincial board, questioning its necessity and timing as the province continues to position itself as a leader in organic agriculture. “Saying no to GMO is the best thing …

By CESAR JOLITO III Kanlaon Volcano remains under Alert Level 2 after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported heightened unrest, marked by a surge in seismic activity and a series of earthquakes that rattled Negros Island over the weekend. A total of 41 volcano-tectonic (VT) earthquakes ranging from magnitude 0.8 to 4.6 …