HEADLINE

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson will not declare a state of calamity in the entire province after intense rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat caused widespread floods earlier this month. “We will not declare a state of calamity. Evacuees affected by the recent floods have already gone home,” Lacson said on Thursday, …

The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO) recommends intensifying the campaign against dengue at barangay level following a case surge of the mosquito-borne disease. CHO head, Dr. Ma. Carmela Gensoli called on barangay officials to lead residents in conducting measures against dengue, such as the 4 o’clock habit, which is to search and destroy mosquito-breeding places, especially …

By JEN BAYLON Sulfur dioxide (SO2) fumes from the restive Kanlaon Volcano have affected 22 barangays in five local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, and disrupted face-to-face classes in 14 public schools in Bago City. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said the villages that reported high levels of sulfur fumes are …

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Western Visayas (LTFRB-6) is still waiting for the guidelines from the central office on the proposal to give operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) another chance to consolidate. According to LTFRB-6 legal counsel, Atty. Jun Altura, they are hoping that the board will meet within this week to …

By JEN BAYLON Members of traditional transport groups consider the Bacolod City government’s failure to approve their rally permits “undemocratic.” In a radio interview yesterday, Rudy Catedral, president of the Bacolod Alliance for Commuters, Operators and Drivers (BACOD), said the mayor’s office ignored their application to stage rallies in five protest areas in the city. …

The damage to agriculture caused by the effects of enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat in Negros Occidental has reached P149,738,745, data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) showed. Rice, high-value crops and corn fields in 160 barangays sustained damage amounting to P146,184,459.28, data said. The fisheries sector also suffered damage totaling …

BY JEN BAYLON The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warns of another massive eruption at Kanlaon Volcano, as it continues to exhibit signs of increased unrest. “Kanlaon Volcano is currently under Alert Level 2, and its activities could further escalate,” Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said on “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” yesterday. “Another eruption is possible,” he added. …

By JEN BAYLON The number of deaths due to dengue in Negros Occidental has risen to 10, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) said yesterday. PHO head Girlie Pinongan said the latest dengue fatality was a resident of Cadiz City. Based on PHO’s Morbidity Week No. 37 report as of September 14, the total number of dengue …

By JEN BAYLON Transport leaders insisted that they were allegedly harassed by the authorities when they held a protest rally on Lacson Street in Bacolod City yesterday morning. In a radio interview, Kabacod Negros Transport Coalition president Lilian Sembrano said the alleged harassment by the city police, including the use of force and a water cannon, …

By JEN BAYLON Residents living within Kanlaon Volcano’s four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town are dealing with two crises at once — the volcano’s continuing restlessness and the threat of intense rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat. Data from the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) …