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By CESAR JOLITO III A total of P10.6 billion in public funds has been allocated for various infrastructure projects in Bacolod City from 2016 to 2025, according to a report compiled by the Council of Concerned Citizens (C3), based on data from the Department of Public Works and Highways website. According to C3, the largest …

By CESAR JOLITO III All public schools in Bacolod City have been cleared for occupancy following a two-day citywide structural inspection after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Bogo City in Cebu province on Monday, October 13. Mayor Greg Gasataya announced the resumption of classes yesterday after inspection teams from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the City Engineer’s …

By CESAR JOLITO III The General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) in Negros Occidental has urged the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas to approve a substantial increase in the minimum wage for private sector workers amid the region’s rising cost of living. GAWA Secretary General Wennie Sancho said the labor …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City government may soon impose higher fines on individuals caught begging and giving alms in public areas — including members of the Badjao community — under a proposed amendment to the city’s Anti-Mendicancy Ordinance. The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Committee on Social Services said the amendment seeks to update penalties …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Council for Concerned Citizens (C3) is set to release this week its partial report on their ongoing investigation into various flood control projects across Negros Occidental. In a radio interview yesterday, C3 convener Atty. Ceasar Beloria said their probe has been extensive, covering infrastructure projects implemented from 2022 to 2025, …

By CESAR JOLITO III Seven individuals, including three minors, sustained minor injuries after a horror train ride overturned at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC) grounds on Sunday night, October 13. Police Station 4 commander, Major Marc Joel Reclamado, said around 10 people were on board the moving attraction when it lost balance and toppled …

By CESAR JOLITO III Industry leaders and labor advocates point to the importation of sugar as the main culprit behind the price collapse. “This is already a recurring problem with sugar importation always being the culprit,” Wennie Sancho, secretary-general of the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA), said in a statement. Sancho said local prices …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City and the cities of Bago and Talisay in Negros Occidental suspended classes at all levels in both public and private schools yesterday as precautionary measures following a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck northern Cebu shortly after 1:00 a.m. The quake, initially recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) inspected a newly discovered sinkhole at Barangay Talaptap in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town amid heightened public concern following a series of recent tremors on Negros Island. According to La Castellana Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer (DRRMO) John de Asis, residents first …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya is proposing a P4.75-billion annual budget for Bacolod City in 2026 — about P350 million higher than this year’s P4.4-billion allocation. Gasataya said he will submit the proposed 2026 executive budget to the city council this week for deliberation and approval. He explained that the modest …