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By CESAR JOLITO III Families displaced by a recent fire in Barangay 39 received immediate relief after Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez personally distributed nearly P1 million in cash assistance to affected residents, underscoring a swift response to the emergency while advancing longer-term recovery plans. Benitez handed out P5,000 each from his …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City’s help desk for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) has recorded a surge in requests for assistance, receiving a total of 44 calls, amid growing uncertainty over the security situation in the Middle East. Mayor Greg Gasataya said 37 of these calls were immediately referred to concerned national government agencies for …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City council has adopted a resolution strongly urging the immediate enactment of a Comprehensive Anti-Political Dynasty Law, citing the urgent need to enforce a long-standing constitutional mandate aimed at ensuring equal access to public office. The measure was authored by Councilor Celia Matea Flor, who said the absence of …

By CESAR JOLITO III The payout of cash assistance to families affected by Typhoon “Tino” in Negros Occidental has reached more than 60 percent completion, with distribution efforts accelerating across remaining localities, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Negros Island Region (NIR). DSWD-NIR Regional Director Arwin Razo said the ongoing …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya assured residents that all government assistance earmarked for beneficiaries will be released in full, warning that any attempt to divert or withhold funds will be met with legal action. Speaking during an assistance payout at the Bacolod City Government Center, Gasataya stressed transparency and accountability in …

By CESAR JOLITO III Women’s rights advocates in Negros Occidental intensified their condemnation of Quezon City Representative Bong Suntay after details of his controversial remarks surfaced, saying the statements reflected sexist undertones and were inappropriate for a lawmaker speaking in an official legislative setting. The incident occurred during a hearing of the House Committee on …

By CESAR JOLITO III About 16,623 Negrenses are currently residing in the Middle East, according to Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz II, who also confirmed that three of them have requested assistance to return home. Diaz said the provincial help desk has received around seven requests for support from Negrenses abroad, most of …

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) – Negros Island Region (NIR) is celebrating National Women’s Month this March to honor women and young girls through special activities. Comelec-NIR election director Lionel Marco Castillano told the Philippine News Agency in an interview that election officers across the region were instructed to undertake these simple but meaningful activities …

By CESAR JOLITO III A mobile medical services program aimed at expanding access to basic healthcare in remote communities has been launched in Negros Occidental’s 3rd District. The initiative was formally introduced on Monday, March 2, is set to cover 115 barangays across the district. Dubbed “Ikaayong Lawas On Wheels Serbisyo Mediko sa Tersero Distrito,” …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) Inc. has formally challenged the inclusion of a waste-to-energy (WTE) component in Bacolod City’s proposed 10-year solid waste management plan, citing the absence of public consultation prior to the passage of a related ordinance. In a statement submitted on Monday, March 2, …