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By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has unanimously approved on third and final reading a landmark ordinance reforming the city’s Social Pension Program for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), significantly expanding eligibility and tightening safeguards to ensure aid reaches the most vulnerable sectors. Authored by Caesar Distrito, chair of the SP Committee on …

Bacolod City is set to install trash traps and flood warning level markers in its major waterways as part of the local government’s reinforced flood mitigation efforts. In a statement yesterday, Mayor Greg Gasataya said the heavy-duty trash traps will be placed in seven priority waterways to intercept waste before it clogs creeks and rivers …

By CESAR JOLITO III A total of 30 illegal structures along major roads in Bacolod City’s Barangays 1 and 2 were demolished by the Bacolod City Legal Office (CLO) as part of the city government’s continuing campaign to clear public roads and sidewalks of obstructions. CLO enforcement team head, retired Police Colonel Levy Pangue said …

By CESAR JOLITO III More than 14,000 families, or an estimated 70,000 individuals, could be affected if the alert status of Kanlaon Volcano is raised to Alert Level 3, authorities warned. Donato Sermeno III, director of the Office of Civil Defense in the Negros Island Region, said the estimate is based on the potential expansion …

By CESAR JOLITO III Church leaders, faith-based organizations and sectoral groups in Bacolod City and parts of Negros Occidental will stage a unity march on Wednesday, February 25, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, underscoring renewed calls to confront poverty and corruption. During a press briefing, Fr. Arman Onion of …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government has taken a major step toward long-term disaster risk reduction after designating an 8.6-hectare property in La Castellana town’s Barangay Talaptap as a permanent relocation site for residents living within the four- to six-kilometer danger zone of Kanlaon Volcano. The development was confirmed by Provincial Administrator …

By CESAR JOLITO III Leptospirosis infections in Bacolod City have climbed sharply this year, with cases rising by 600 percent from January to February 7, compared with the same period last year, health authorities reported. Data from the City Health Office (CHO) show seven confirmed leptospirosis cases so far in 2026, including one death. In …

By CESAR JOLITO III Relief operations intensified in Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City as government agencies and partner organizations rolled out coordinated assistance following the February 19 eruption of Kanlaon Volcano, while local authorities announced the resumption of classes after days of disruption. The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) organization distributed a total of 459 …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Department of Health – Negros Island Region Center for Health Development (DOH-NIR CHD) has reinforced health services across the region with the formal induction of 438 newly deployed health professionals under the National Health Workforce Support System (NHWSS). The 1st Human Resources for Health Oath-Taking Ceremony was held on February …

By CESAR JOLITO III Following a moderately explosive eruption of Kanlaon Volcano on Thursday afternoon, February 19, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed local governments across Negros Island to enforce strict safety measures and ensure public readiness. The DILG instructed all local chief executives to ensure that residents within the …