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By CESAR JOLITO III Former Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) General Manager Mona Dia Jardin has denied claims that she prevented the release of back wages for employees displaced after the joint venture agreement (JVA) between Baciwa and Primewater. Jardin said she immediately facilitated the allocation of P50 million from a special savings deposit to …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City government is set to embark on a large-scale clearing and desilting operation of the Mandalagan River, a move aimed at easing recurring flooding in several low-lying communities. Mayor Greg Gasataya announced the initiative after a recent hydrographic survey revealed that the river mouth’s depth has dropped to less …

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is conducting tests on the sugar content of harvestable sugarcanes in Negros Occidental to determine loss due to the red striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) infestation. Data from the SRA on Wednesday, August 27, showed tests on harvested canes, aged at least nine to 10 months, started last week in Cadiz …

By CESAR JOLITO III Former Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) General Manager Mona Dia Jardin is contesting the board of directors’ decision declaring her term expired, insisting her tenure is valid until 2028 and vowing to take legal action against what she called an “illegal removal.” This came after Jardin was rejected from entering the …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Regional Trial Court (RTC) has found an engineer in Bacolod City guilty of illegally cutting mangroves and reclaiming land along the Sum-ag River in Barangay Pahanocoy to develop his private resort. Engineer Andres Tacolod was guilty of violating Section 68 of Presidential Decree 705 (Revised Forestry Code) and Section 94 of …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City Water District Employees Union–National Federation of Labor Unions (BEU-NAFLU) has welcomed the removal of Mona Dia Jardin as general manager of the Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa), saying the move is a step toward accountability for the controversial joint venture agreement (JVA) with PrimeWater. In a statement, the …

By CESAR JOLITO III A four-year-old boy became the fifth fatality due to dengue in Bacolod City this year, the City Health Office (CHO) said, despite infections dropping by nearly 13 percent compared to last year. CHO said the victim, a resident of Barangay Villamonte, developed fever, abdominal pain and vomiting beginning on August 10. …

The cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued to the Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI) last June for the construction of the controversial five-hectare oil palm plantation in Candoni, Negros Occidental remains in effect, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau in Negros Island Region (DENR-EMB NIR). This was stated in two letters of …

By CESAR JOLITO III Binalbagan Mayor Manuel Aranda has assured residents that the flood control projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the municipality are intact, functional and free from irregularities. According to Aranda, the structures — designed to channel excess water from rivers toward the sea — continue to serve …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Negros Island Region (DENR-NIR) has clarified that while the clearing of volcanic materials deposited in rivers and creeks within the Mount Kanlaon Natural Park is permitted, hauling these materials outside the protected area is strictly prohibited. Engineer Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, DENR-NIR Assistant Regional …