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Twelve of the 13 cities in Negros Occidental, including highly-urbanized Bacolod City, were among the awardees of the 2024 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), based on the list released by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday, November 14. In a statement, Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez congratulated “all …

By JEN BAYLON The ongoing demarcation efforts to establish a clear boundary for the four-kilometer permanent danger zone (PDZ) surrounding Kanlaon Volcano are making progress amid continuing unrest. Engineer Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, head of the Negros Occidental Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, reported that more than 40 flagpoles will be erected four kilometers away from the …

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has formed inspection teams to check the sample results released by sugar mills after receiving complaints from farmers of “very low to zero Lkg sugar per ton cane (Lkg/TC)” since they began milling in October. In a statement on Wednesday, November 13, the SRA said Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona released …

Following the launch of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) rice program in Negros Oriental this week, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) are planning similar events throughout the region in the coming months. Alejandro Rafal, the newly appointed assistant regional director for operations and extension of the DA-Negros Island Region …

BY JEN BAYLON Five individuals were arrested during a drug buy-bust operation at Barangay 4 in Negros Occidental’s Kabankalan City, which led to the confiscation of an estimated P1.4 million worth of suspected illegal drugs on Wednesday afternoon, November 13. The operation targeted 38-year-old Helen Garaygay, identified as the main subject of the bust. Four …

By JEN BAYLON In a move aimed at protecting marine biodiversity and promoting sustainable fishing practices, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has announced a three-month closed fishing season in the Visayan Sea starting Friday, November 15. The ban prohibits the capture of fish, such as fimbriated sardines (tabagak, Ramban, tuloy), Bali sardines (awol-awol, Ramban), short-bodied …

Residents in villages near the foot of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Occidental have been advised to wear masks as protection from the continuing ash emissions. On Tuesday, November 12, the Murcia Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) confirmed that ashfall is also being felt in the town’s Barangay Minoyan. “Residents may use face …

The Bacolod City government, through Bacolod City College (BCC), has partnered with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to provide tertiary education to persons deprived of liberty (PDL). The College Education Behind Bars (CEBB) program will enable Metro Bacolod District Jail-Male Dorm Annex (MBDJ-MDA) inmates to acquire a baccalaureate degree while serving time. The …

The Bacolod City government has realigned the P525-million Burgos Public Market rehabilitation budget for five other city projects. This, after the market vendors did not agree with the city government’s rehabilitation proposal, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said in a press conference on Monday, November 11. Among the projects with the realigned budget is the construction …

Major General Marion Sison, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division, has issued a clear directive to the newly-installed commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) in Negros Occidental: Eliminate the remaining members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG). During the Change of Command Ceremony held at Camp Major Nelson L. Gerona in …