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By CESAR JOLITO III Labor group General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) expressed disappointment over the decision of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas to dismiss a petition seeking a P250 daily wage increase for private sector workers in the region. In a press statement, GAWA Secretary General Wennie Sancho …

Recent defeats of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Toboso and Cauayan, Negros Occidental have shown the “irreversible collapse of the remaining communist terrorist infrastructure” in the region, a ranking National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) official said. These losses, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres, Jr. said, shatter the communist …

Sipalay City in Negros Occidental has been recognized by the Department of Health (DOH) as a leader in establishing certified fully compliant mother and baby-friendly workplaces (MBFW) in Negros Island Region (NIR). Sipalay’s City Hall and Primary Care Facility (PCF) are both the first to be awarded such distinctions among the city halls and PCFs …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) has backed the position of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) legal cooperation cluster on the dismissal of the terrorism financing case filed against Community Empowerment Resource Network Inc. (CERNET), stressing that the court ruling should not be interpreted …

By CESAR JOLITO III Agricultural losses in Negros Occidental have climbed to more than P16 million due to a dry spell across several local government units, prompting authorities to prepare mitigation measures ahead of the projected worsening of El Niño conditions later this year. Data released by the Provincial Agriculture Office showed that crop damage …

By CESAR JOLITO III Ten local government units (LGUs) across the Negros Island Region (NIR) have been recognized by the Philippine Open Government Partnership (OGP) for their strong commitment to transparency, accountability and citizen participation during the observance of Open Government Week. The official list of awardees, released on May 21, showed that six LGUs …

By CESAR JOLITO III The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) has expressed support for Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in urging schools to strengthen monitoring of students amid allegations of insurgency recruitment within academic institutions. Unifed President Manuel Lamata said the reported presence of student leaders among fatalities in the recent encounter in Toboso …

By CESAR JOLITO III Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. has lauded the Negros Occidental provincial government for its intensified efforts against insurgency, particularly its reintegration initiatives for former communist rebels. During a visit to the Provincial Capitol on Saturday, May 23, Teodoro met with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and other local officials before proceeding to …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya has strongly condemned statements aired in a radio broadcast that allegedly treated sexual assault and violence against women as a subject of humor, calling the incident a “failure of empathy” and a betrayal of public trust. In a statement, Gasataya said discussions involving rape and abuse, …

Contrary to claims that the 19 New People’s Army (NPA) members were massacred during the April 19 clash in Toboso, Negros Occidental, a ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the communist insurgents were given every opportunity to surrender, but they refused. “Government forces continuously called on members …