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By CESAR JOLITO III Human rights advocates in Negros Occidental have disputed the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) reported seizure of illegal drugs inside the Negros Occidental District Jail’s Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD), raising concerns about transparency and accountability in jail operations. The Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) on Saturday, November 22, denied the …

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) is awaiting the results of ongoing investigations and laboratory analyses from various groups before deciding on possible legal action regarding the wastewater spill in the Tañon Strait Protective Seascape. DENR-NIR Regional Director Charlie Fabre told the Philippine News Agency in an …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) is tightening its surge protocols after recording an unusual rise in referrals of leptospirosis patients — many of them moderate to severe cases, mostly from southern Negros Occidental — as it prioritizes severe cases. In an advisory issued on Saturday, November 22, the regional hospital reported …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Department of Education – Schools Division of Negros Occidental has reported P190.9 million in total damage and losses following the onslaught of Typhoon “Tino,” as rapid assessment teams wrapped up their initial evaluation this week. According to the Rapid Damage Assessment Report, as of November 13, the typhoon left 13 schools totally …

Bacolod City is taking another major step toward becoming one of the country’s premier sports destinations as discussions advance for the city to host the Philippine Sports Expo (PSE) in April 2026, an event projected to bring thousands of athletes, visitors and new economic activity to Negros Occidental. City officials and event organizers confirmed that …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) has intensified its security protocols after back-to-back greyhound operations on November 18 and 20 led to the discovery of illegal drugs, mobile phones and improvised weapons inside the facility. The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Negros Island Region (BJMP-NIR) reported that the surprise …

By CESAR JOLITO III Two universities in southern Negros Occidental were hit by separate bomb threats within a 24-hour span, prompting immediate security responses and coordination with cybercrime authorities, police confirmed yesterday. Authorities said the first bomb threat was received at 12:59 p.m. on Wednesday, November 19, at the West Visayas State University – Himamaylan …

By CESAR JOLITO III The damage left behind by Typhoon “Tino” in Negros Occidental has climbed to nearly P2 billion, affecting critical infrastructure, agriculture and education facilities across the province, according to the latest executive brief from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s Emergency Operations Center. The total estimated destruction has reached P1,976,367,038.70, marking …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed a resolution, calling for telecommunication and cable companies to launch an immediate and comprehensive cleanup of hazardous “spaghetti wires,” low-hanging cables and abandoned posts that have become increasingly prevalent across the city. The resolution was approved amid mounting complaints from barangays over tangled and poorly …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Island is positioned as a rising leader in sustainable food systems, ecological agriculture and culinary heritage as it made history yesterday during the inaugural Terra Madre Asia and Pacific, a landmark gathering of Slow Food advocates, chefs, farmers, and sustainability leaders from the continent and the Pacific. Terra Madre brought …