HEADLINE

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental halted the acceptance of signatures supporting the People’s Initiative aimed to amend the 1987 Constitution. Atty. Ian Lee Ananoria, Comelec-NegOcc elections supervisor, said they have received instructions from the national office to preserve, seal and secure the collected signatures pending further review. Ananoria said they …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental begins to grapple with the harsh effects of the El Niño phenomenon, as the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported yesterday that three local government units (LGUs) have already been affected by the weather phenomenon. OPA officer-in-charge Dr. Dina Genzola said, as of January 26, 11 barangays in …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s resignation would not be good for investments. Lacson made the statement after Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte called for Marcos’ resignation due to dissatisfaction with his administration. “If that happens, automatic business opportunities will just close its …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town is generally peaceful amid the recent armed clashes between government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA), Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said during the 11th anniversary of the massacre in the town’s Barangay Puso on Friday, January 26. Over a decade after the deadly ambush, Mangilimutan said there was …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees’ (PACE) election committee reaffirms its commitment for a fair and transparent elections on Saturday, January 27, despite concerns raised about the tabulators’ credibility. Al Ceralbo, PACE election committee chairperson, said their tabulation and election systems adhered to the union’s guidelines and mechanics to prevent doubts and manipulation during …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Sugar Council expressed appreciation for the national government’s proactive move to stabilize domestic sugar prices, aiming to provide relief for farmers grappling with persistently low millgate prices in recent months. In a press statement released yesterday, the Sugar Council — composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is conducting a deeper investigation into the rock-throwing incident at a restaurant owned by an Israeli national in the city’s Barangay Villamonte. The local police are now seriously looking into the incident, as threats against Israelis continue to grow worldwide due to the ongoing war between …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported that the death of a one-year-old boy from Moises Padilla town is the first suspected rabies case in the province this year. PHO head Dr. Girlie Pinongan said the child, a resident of the town’s Barangay Macagahay, was bitten by their pet dog last week. …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga   Local power advocacy group Power Watch Negros (PWN) has pointed a finger at the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) following a massive blackout on Panay Island earlier this month. PWN secretary-general Wennie Sancho believes that NGCP’s failure to contract sufficient power reserves played a pivotal role in the energy reliability crisis. …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Leaders of various sugar groups in the country gathered to devise strategies and mechanisms in a significant move towards fostering unity within the sugar industry. The collective effort comes in response to the government’s approval of direct sugar purchases from farmers at a premium price. Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head …