HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III The new owner of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. is prepared to invest up to P3 billion to modernize and improve water distribution services in Bacolod City, according to Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez. Benitez said he met with business magnate Lucio Co on Thursday morning, December 18, to discuss the urgent …

By CESAR JOLITO III Amid mounting complaints from local chief executives over delays linked to the One Hospital Command (OHC) referral system, the Negros Occidental provincial government has maintained that the problem lies not in the digital platform itself but in hospital emergency room triage and human implementation on the ground. Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) has questioned PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. over its alleged failure to disclose the sale of the company despite their existing joint venture agreement (JVA), considering that the partnership directly affects the delivery of water services to city residents. In a media interview, Baciwa Acting Manager Engineer …

By CESAR JOLITO III A consumer advocacy group has called on Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya and the city council to investigate reports that PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. has been sold to a new entity, raising concerns over transparency and the protection of public interest. Water Watch Advocates convenor Wennie Sancho said the group received information …

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 …