HEADLINE

At least 35 passengers were injured after a bus fell on its side at Barangay Salong in Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City yesterday morning. Kabankalan police chief, Lt. Colonel Roberto Indiape, Jr. said the bus was bound for the city’s Barangay Bantayan from Bacolod City when the accident happened around 9:30 a.m. Indiape said the bus stopped on …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The ongoing debate surrounding the sugar industry took a sharp turn as the Sugar Council challenged the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) over the whereabouts of the pledged P5 billion and the proposed sugar importation. In the latest statement by the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association, Inc. (Confed), they asserted that the …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) has lashed out at the Sugar Council, as they claimed that there was no proposal to import additional sugar to address low millgate prices. Unifed president Manuel Lamata responded to the Sugar Council’s recent statement in their opposition to another government intervention program where traders …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Negros Occidental Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported that the damage caused by the El Niño phenomenon in the province has now reached P12.8 million. Four local government units (LGUs) have been affected by El Niño, according to OPA data as of yesterday, which brings the total number …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Sugar Council expressed their concern over the proposal of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) which allows traders to import more sugar to address low millgate prices. In its letter forwarded to SRA head Pablo Luis Azcona, the Sugar Council said that even though they all agree on the need for timely …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is not in favor of abolishing the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). This comes after United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur Irene Khan proposed abolishing the task force, calling it “outdated and does not take into account the ongoing prospects for …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) recorded 45 extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in Negros Occidental last year. Vincent Parra, CHR-Negros Occidental head, said most EJKs were perpetrated and claimed by insurgents of the New People’s Army (NPA), while others were drug-related deaths by unidentified suspects. The number of murder cases in Negros …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga At least 59 dengue cases have been recorded in Negros Occidental since January 1, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported yesterday. PHO’s Dengue Fever Surveillance Report for Morbidity Weeks 1 to 4 showed 40 suspected and 19 probable dengue cases were recorded in the province last month. La Carlota City has the highest …

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 …