HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III The La Castellana municipal government is set to partner with a private firm for a large-scale river dredging project aimed at reducing flood risks following the devastation caused by Typhoon “Tino” in November last year. Vice Mayor Rhumyla Nicor Mangilimutan confirmed that the local government is finalizing a collaboration with Jerry …

By CESAR JOLITO III Government troops neutralized three alleged remnants of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) and seized high-powered firearms following an early morning encounter at Barangay Tampalon in Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City on Saturday, March 21. The brief firefight, which lasted approximately two minutes, resulted in the deaths of three suspected rebels, the Philippine …

By CESAR JOLITO III A labor group slammed the government’s recent decision to suspend a planned transport fare hike, calling it a possible diversion from the long-standing demand for higher wages. In a press statement issued on March 19, Wennie Sancho, secretary general of the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA), criticized what he described …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez rejected claims that a recent congressional hearing triggered the decline in sugar prices, stressing that market oversupply and policy decisions were the primary causes of the downturn. “Ang hearing nga ila ginabasol, amo ang nagprotekta sa aton,” Benitez said, underscoring that the inquiry …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Court of Appeals (CA) 13th Division has issued a landmark decision in the case involving 59 former employees of the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa), partially granting the water district’s petition for review and clarifying key issues on employment separation and benefits. In a decision, the CA sustained the validity …

By CESAR JOLITO III Despite a series of moderate explosive eruptions at Kanlaon Volcano, the country’s top volcanology official said the situation remains within expected parameters under the current alert status. Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), clarified that Kanlaon continues to be under Alert Level 2, indicating ongoing …

By CESAR JOLITO III Kanlaon Volcano’s moderate explosive eruption early Sunday evening, March 15, sent ashfall and sulfuric fumes across Negros Island, affecting 90 barangays and prompting class suspensions in seven local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental. Kanlaon erupted at 6:07 p.m., generating a five-kilometer-high eruption column drifting southeast and northeast, the Philippine Institute …

By CESAR JOLITO The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has heightened its alert level amid concerns that increasing fuel prices could trigger a rise in property-related crimes. BCPO Director Eugene Rebadomia said the police are preparing contingency measures to address possible incidents such as theft, robbery and looting that may arise as fuel costs continue …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City council has passed a resolution calling on the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to take strict action against hoarding and price manipulation of petroleum products amid the economic impact of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Authored by Councilor Wilson …

By CESAR JOLITO III The 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army has renewed its call for remaining insurgents in Negros Island to abandon armed struggle and return to the government, stressing that decades of insurgency have only caused suffering and hindered development in local communities. According to 3ID Public Affairs Office chief Jessie …