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The safe return of former Negros Oriental Representative Arnulfo “Arnie” Teves, Jr. to the Philippines was not an abduction but a lawful enforcement of existing arrest warrants. Presidential Communication Office Assistant Secretary Erel Cabatbat, a member of the government extraction team, said this during a Palace press briefing yesterday, in response to a social media …

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) yesterday assured close monitoring to contain the red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI) infestation in Negros Occidental. The RSSI, which was initially recorded in Luzon in 2023, poses a potential reduction of sugar content by almost 50 percent. SRA Administrator Luis Pablo Azcona said there are “favorable” responses from the Department of …

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) Region 6 has distributed 6,728 license plates to tricycle-for-hire operators across Western Visayas as of May 28. The plates, released through the LTO’s district and extension offices, form part of around 19,000 plates allocated to the region covering the period 2014 to 2017. Also available are temporary to permanent plate …

The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) welcomed the appointment of Police Major General Nicolas Torre, who is an Ilonggo, as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). Torre will replace General Rommel Francisco Marbil who will retire on June 7 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. extended the latter’s term for three months following …

ILOILO CITY — In a positive development for power consumers in Western Visayas and Negros Island, private electric distribution utilities under the leadership of billionaire businessman Enrique Razon, Jr. continue to offer the most competitive electricity rates in the region, outpacing the rates charged by electric cooperatives. For over five years, MORE Electric and Power …

By JEN BAYLON Negros Occidental continues to be free from monkeypox (mpox), the provincial Department of Health (DOH) said after Iloilo province confirmed two laboratory-tested cases and four suspected cases yesterday. DOH-Negros Occidental head Adrian Hort Ramos said the declaration is based on comprehensive epidemiological surveillance conducted across the entire Negros Island Region. Ramos emphasized that …

By JEN BAYLON The entry within Kanlaon Volcano’s permanent danger zone has been temporarily suspended, the Office of Civil Defense in the Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) said following increased volcanic activity observed in recent days. “Entry within the six-kilometer extended danger zone during the 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. window period is suspended effective May …

By JEN BAYLON The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) confirmed another fatality from rabies — the fourth for this year — in the province: a 25-year-old woman from Kabankalan City who reportedly died on Sunday, May 25. “There was a case reported at Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, but she died in Kabankalan. …

The Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) of Negros Oriental’s Dumaguete City has acknowledged the official clarification of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the supposed ballot count “discrepancy” at a clustered precinct during the May 12 polls, saying the matter has been resolved. The DEB and its partner, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), acknowledged …

By JEN BAYLON The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod City was alarmed after two separate fires claimed the lives of three minors within the span of just a few days. BFP-Bacolod head Fire Superintendent Jenny Mae Masip revealed that both fires were caused by unattended candles. In both cases, Masip said the young …