By CESAR JOLITO III The Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) has raised alarm over what it describes as a “converging storm” threatening power stability in the Visayas, citing thin supply reserves and escalating global oil risks as key drivers of a potential energy crisis in the coming months. In a …
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Sugar sector urges Marcos action over import surge
By CESAR JOLITO III As the country marks the eve of Labor Day, agrarian reform beneficiaries, small farmers and workers in the sugar industry have issued a strongly worded appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., calling for urgent government intervention amid what they describe as a deepening crisis caused by excessive sugar importation. In an …
Power group backs energy saving drive
By CESAR JOLITO III The Central Negros Power Reliability Incorporated (CENPRI) has expressed strong support for the national government’s energy conservation campaign, aligning its operations with austerity measures promoted by the administration of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. CENPRI, which operates a diesel power plant at Barangay Calumangan in Negros Occidental’s Bago City, plays a key role …
Wildfire hits over 100 hectares of forestland in Kanlaon danger zone
By CESAR JOLITO IIII A wildfire continues to spread within Kanlaon Volcano’s permanent danger zone (PDZ), affecting more than 100 hectares of forestland, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said. The grass fire, which started around 10:00 a.m. on April 19, is burning within Kanlaon’s three- to four-kilometer PDZ. Affected areas include Sitio …
NegOcc expands healthcare, now with 24 DOH-licensed facilities
By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental has significantly expanded its primary healthcare network, now operating 24 Department of Health (DOH)-licensed primary care facilities across its 31 local government units (LGUs). Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan announced the development during the Provincial Leadership and Governance Program Colloquium and Universal Health Care Summit 2026, noting that …
‘Dead’ dog burned; pet owner to file raps
By CESAR JOLITO III A pet owner is preparing to file charges against a neighbor who allegedly burned her dog, an act that animal welfare advocates say may constitute cruelty under Philippine law. Pet owner JB Castillo said her family last saw their dog, Joker, a mixed breed, on April 18. The dog was known …
Foul play eyed in girl’s murder
By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities are investigating the death of a 13-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a sugarcane field at Barangay Poblacion West in Negros Occidental’s Candoni town. Candoni police chief, Police Captain Leonel Adolacion, said the girl was last seen alive on Sunday afternoon, April 26, after she was asked by her …
Bacolod expands fuel subsidy to over 3-K tricycle drivers
By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City government, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has distributed fuel subsidies to an additional 3,409 tricycle drivers, expanding the number of beneficiaries under the national assistance program. The payout, conducted over two days from April 24 to 25, followed a review of appeals …
9 killed in Toboso clash were civilians, NPA insists
By CESAR JOLITO III The New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Island has asserted that not all those killed in the encounter at Barangay Salamanca in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on April 19 were armed combatants, claiming that nine civilians were among the fatalities. In a statement, Ka Maoche Legislador, spokesperson of the NPA-Negros Island …
Transport leader yields over cyberlibel case
By CESAR JOLITO III The president of the Kabacod Negros Transport Organization (KNETCO) voluntarily surrendered in connection with a cyberlibel complaint filed against her in December 2025. Bacolod City Police Station 8 processed KNETCO President Lillian Sembrano for custodial procedures following the complaint lodged by Corazon Ocalinas of Choret Corporation. Based on police records and …