By JEN BAYLON Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has set aside the proposed renaming of the Negros Island Region (NIR) to Negros Island-Siquijor Administrative Region (NISAR), citing more pressing priorities. “I don’t think that’s the priority now,” Lacson said yesterday. Lacson said the proposal to change the name of the newly-established region could be considered …
HEADLINE
NIR to NISAR? Siquijor town mayor: Renaming NIR more than just NegOcc, NegOr
By JEN BAYLON A municipal mayor in Siquijor has proposed renaming the newly-created Negros Island Region (NIR) as Negros Island-Siquijor Administrative Region (NISAR). According to Siquijor’s San Juan Mayor Wilfredo Capundag Jr., the change of name to NISAR is a fitting recognition of Siquijor’s integration into NIR, created through Republic Act (RA) 12000, signed by …
Illegal POGO ops? BCPO: No evidence of alleged POGO operations in Bacolod
By JEN BAYLON The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) clarified that there is no presence of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the city, dispelling rumors and concerns from residents and local business owners. BCPO administrative officer Colonel Ronnie Brillo said they received a directive from the Philippine National Police headquarters regarding POGO operations, but …
Making ends meet; Benitez hopes for much lower residential power rates
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez expects much lower power rates for Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) in the following months. This comes after Ceneco announced a drop in its residential power rates by P2.40 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in June. “The power rate reduction is crucial as we move forward to provide relief, especially to …
Negros Power ready to serve, unveils temporary Bacolod office
Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) has recently inaugurated its temporary office in Bacolod City, indicating its readiness to start operations as the new power distribution utility in Central Negros. Negros Power’s temporary office, located on the 2nd floor of Robinsons East Mall on Burgos Avenue in Barangay Villamonte, will house its corporate, business operations, …
Probe sought; Benitez orders investigation into bus accident in DSB
By JEN BAYLON Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez ordered an investigation into the bus accident that killed a public school teacher and injured 34 others in Negros Occidental’s Don Salvador Benedicto town on Friday, June 14. “It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that we announce a tragic vehicular accident involving a bus owned …
Expected case surge; NegOcc PHO urges residents to take precautions vs. dengue
By JEN BAYLON As the rainy season has just started, the Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) is gearing up for a possible surge in dengue cases. This comes after 519 cases were recorded in the province from January 1 to June 8 this year, based on data from the Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for …
A new era: Marcos Jr. signs Negros Island Region Act into law
By JEN BAYLON President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed Republic Act 12000, or the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act, unifying Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor into a new administrative region. Marcos, during the ceremonial signing of the law in Malacañang Palace yesterday afternoon, said the NIR, now the 18th region in the country, aims to promote economic development and …
Major achievement; Lacson: Marcos Jr. to sign NIR bill into law today
BY JEN BAYLON President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will sign the Negros Island Region (NIR) bill into law today, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said. “The fact that the President will sign it into law is already an achievement for all of us,” Lacson said. He hailed the upcoming bill signing as an achievement for the Negrenses, stating …
P104-M in losses: Kanlaon eruption affects 1,706 Negrense farmers, 118 farms
By JEN BAYLON The eruption of Kanlaon Volcano has resulted in agricultural losses worth P104.8 million in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Operations Center said. DA’s data showed that ash fall and lahar flows from Kanlaon have affected 3,947 metric tons of crops in several local government units in both Negros provinces. High-value crops suffered …