HEADLINE

By JEN BAYLON The Siquijor provincial government has assured residents and tourists that the province remains safe from glanders, a bacterial disease transmitted from sick animals, despite confirming six cases. “There is no reason to be sad, worried or panic,” Siquijor Governor Jake Vincent Villa said in a Facebook post yesterday. “The provincial government will …

By JEN BAYLON The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has formally requested P10 million in assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) to combat the alarming spread of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI), which are now affecting sugarcane plantations in 11 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, the country’s major sugar-producing province. The SRA is …

By JEN BAYLON Despite its seemingly calm appearance, Kanlaon Volcano remains a potential threat, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said, stating the volcano is showing signs of unrest. “Just because the volcano looks calm doesn’t guarantee that another eruption won’t happen,” Phivolcs resident volcanologist Mari-Andylene Quintia said. She added that Kanlaon’s continuing …

By JEN BAYLON The 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army has denied allegations that the individuals killed by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) were intelligence personnel connected to their unit. In an official statement, 79IB commanding officer Colonel Arnel Calaoagan said the claim that the slain individuals were military …

By JEN BAYLON The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a stern warning to candidates in Negros Occidental who failed to remove their campaign materials within the mandated five-day period after the May 12 midterm elections, citing violations of the Fair Election Act that could lead to disqualification. Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria announced …

By JEN BAYLON The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is intensifying efforts to contain the infestation of red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) that has been reported in six sugarcane-producing local government units in northern Negros Occidental. RSSI threatens to reduce sugar content by nearly 50 percent, potentially impacting the sugar industry and farmers’ livelihoods in the …

By JEN BAYLON Two children died in a fire that razed their house at Purok Lison in Bacolod City’s Barangay 1 early yesterday morning. Siblings eight-year-old Gabry Jhon Gutierrez and six-year-old Audrey Shantel Gutierrez died in the blaze, while their grandfather, 63-year-old Edwardo Gutierrez, sustained injuries, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod said. The children, who were …

By JEN BAYLON Sugar production in the Philippines for the current crop year is projected to finish at 1.837 million metric tons (MMT), nearly five percent higher than the initial estimate of 1.782 MMT, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said. As of now, sugar production has reached 1.815 MMT, according to SRA Administrator Pablo Luis …

By JEN BAYLON The additional P203 million worth of financial assistance in response to Kanlaon Volcano’s continuing unrest on Negros Island will go directly to the affected local government units (LGUs), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said. OCD Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City will receive the largest share from the …

By JEN BAYLON The ban on entering Kanlaon Volcano’s six-kilometer extended danger zone has been lifted, but with tightened restrictions, despite renewed volcanic activity in the past days. “The suspension of entry to the six-kilometer extended danger zone from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to carry out farming and other essential activities is hereby lifted,” the …