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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 …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson stood by his earlier statement urging school administrators to be aware of student activities on campus amid mounting criticism from youth organizations and rights advocates who warned against possible surveillance and red-tagging. Lacson clarified that his concern stemmed from reports allegedly indicating that recruitment activities …

By CESAR JOLITO III Around 40 percent of consumers of the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) and PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. are currently experiencing reduced or intermittent water supply as the utility grapples with a growing water deficit caused by the ongoing dry spell and pipeline leakages. Baciwa officer-in-charge Engineer Michael Soliva said the utility’s available …