News

Bank deposits in Western Visayas reached P533 billion as of June this year, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed. With high savings, the loan portfolio only posted P146 billion, translating to a loan deposit ratio (LDR) of 27 percent. BSP Visayas Regional Office Economic Affairs Staff head Gregorio Baccay III said the …

Officials of the Dumaguete City government and Yeongdong-gun, South Korea have vowed to improve the sisterhood ties between the cities to promote relations and programs for agriculture, culture, education, and tourism in a conference in the city. Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said the ongoing seasonal farmworkers training program has provided the city residents …

Several government agencies yesterday warned motorists against traveling to the Bicol Region and the Visayas and Mindanao via Matnog Port due to incoming Tropical Storm “Man-yi” (to be named “Pepito”). In a travel advisory, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II said “Man-yi” is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility …

By Mae Singuay Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) launched its pilot Underground Distribution System (UDS) Project in Bacolod City yesterday, which aims to eliminate above-ground power lines within a six-kilometer stretch, starting on Lacson Street. The groundbreaking ceremony at the Negros Occidental Capitol Lagoon was led by Roel Castro, president and chief executive officer of Negros Power, together with …

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is conducting a comprehensive review of the regulations governing the transport of livestock, particularly chickens and hogs, to address ongoing supply challenges exacerbated by lingering animal health issues. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said a review of existing regulations would be carried out in consultation with industry groups, particularly …

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said it has spent a total of P1 billion on quick response funds for the victims of the last five tropical cyclones that hit the country. “The DSWD has distributed more than P1 billion in total humanitarian assistance. Out of that, we have distributed more than 1.4 …

Negros Oriental remains free from avian influenza (AI), with authorities ramping up preventive measures by conducting blood sampling in high-risk areas across the province. A team from the Department of Agriculture regulatory division in Central Visayas began random blood sampling of chickens in Sta. Catalina, an area with a significant poultry population and frequented by …

Barangay biosafety officers (BBOs) are actively operating in 22 towns and cities across Negros Oriental to prevent an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF). Jaymar Vilos, spokesperson for the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), told the Philippine News Agency yesterday that each local government unit (LGU) deployed three BBOs to monitor communities and submit monthly reports …

The number of registered voters in Negros Oriental for the May 2025 midterm elections increased slightly compared to the 2022 polls, according to data from the Commission on Elections-Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR). Records from Comelec-NIR show that Negros Oriental now has 978,643 registered voters, up by 46,604 from the 932,039 voters recorded in the 2022 …

Two residents were arrested yesterday in a buy-bust that yielded P1.020 million in suspected shabu at Villa Angela Subdivision, Barangay Villamonte, according to a report by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO). The suspects were identified as alias “Mariel,” 30 years old, and her companion alias “Naldo,” 23 years old, both jobless residents of Barangay 20. At …