National day of prayer, protest vs 16 new cities held

THE Bacolod City Government observed a national day of prayer and protest against the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the constitutionality of the conversion of the 16 municipalities into cities.

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia led the prayer and protest during the flag raising ceremonies Monday at the New Government Center.

100 PUVs without permits apprehended

ABOUT 100 public utility vehicles (PUVs) drivers were apprehended Monday for plying their routes in Bacolod City without the permit to operate, Bacolod Traffic Management Unit (TMU) Head Police Chief Inspector Levy Pangue said.

Pangue said the arrested drivers were warned to secure a business permit from the City Mayor’s Office in order to operate their vehicles in the city.

Benefits for village watchmen pushed

INCUMBENT village watchmen should be exempted from paying tuition and matriculation fees for their legitimate dependents or children attending state colleges or universities as well as be entitled to insurance coverage and medical care.

Bounty for ex-village chief’s arrest now at P250,000

BACOLOD CITY (Updated 9:03 a.m.) -- Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. increased the reward money for the immediate arrest of a former village chief in Silay City from P100,00 to P250,000.

Maranon offered P100,000 last week and gave the deadline until today, Tuesday, for the arrest of massacre suspect Noel Ayalin, former captain of Barangay Kapitan Ramon.

15th Sinigayan Festival opens

THE 15th Sinigayan festival of Sagay City officially opened Sunday with focused on the preservation and protection of the environment, in the face of the catastrophic impact of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan last Friday.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo G. Marañon Jr., who graced the celebration, urged everyone to start caring for the environment because climate change is making its presence felt already.

Hunt continues for bloodbath suspect

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) joined the hunt for former Barangay Kapitan Ramon chairman Noel Ayalin.

Ayalin shot seven village officials as they were about to start their session last March 6, 2011.

Quakes remind people to take care of environment: guv

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. said earthquake and tsunami like those that happened in Japan send a reminder to mankind that they should take care of the environment.

"God reminds us that we should stop creating havoc to the environment," he said.

Port authority inspects Bredco

THE Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) conducted ocular inspection at the Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) Port in relation to the two separate incidents last year where two vehicles jumped into the sea, resulting in the death of three persons.

PPA Port Manager Enrique H. Fuentebaja informed the Bacolod City Council that PPA’s action was in response to a City Council resolution calling for the agency and other government agencies to look into Bredco’s structural design and its security arrangement in relation to the said accidents.

Bacolod fishermen complain of illegal fishing methods

FISHERMEN in the village of Pahanocoy in Bacolod City have complained to the city mayor about the presence of commercial fishing vessels in areas intended for small fishermen.

Police to probe jai alai 'immunity' IDs

ACTING Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) chief Senior Supt. Ricardo De la Paz vowed to investigate the alleged jai alai immunity card, which exempts the bearer from apprehension by the local police.

Residents urged to avoid going to sea

ALTHOUGH Negros Occidental was not among the 19 provinces placed under alert level 2 after the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan Friday, some officials appealed to residents, especially those living along coastal areas, to avoid going to sea.

This developed as the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in Tsunami Bulletin 3 issued 11:30 p.m., already cancelled the alert status, saying that “current trend of observed wave heights suggests that the threat of a hazardous tsunami has passed.”

Guv orders review on operation vs Ayalin

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has ordered an assessment on operations conducted for the manhunt of Silay City massacre suspect, former village chief Noel Ayalin.

This as the three-day ultimatum the governor gave the police to arrest Ayalin ended Friday with the suspect still at large.

Police chiefs’ training ends

ALL the 31 police chiefs in the province reported to the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) Friday for the culmination of their one-week enhancement seminar.

The police chiefs from the 12 cities and 19 municipalities underwent a one-week enhancement seminar at the Governor’s Hall since March 2.

Youth council backs reform bill

SAN Juan lone district Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito got the support of the Youth Council Federation presidents in Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, on his youth council reform bill.

Ejercito said the proposal aims to strengthen and reform the youth council, adding that the 1987 Constitution recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation building.

Hospital union to file notice of strike Saturday

THE Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital Employees Union will file a notice of strike at 2:15 p.m. Saturday before the office of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) reportedly on grounds of unfair labor due to union busting.

Roberto Villaram, president of the Bacolod Our Lady of Mercy Specialty Hospital Employees Union, said in a statement that “in as much as we are willing to deliver quality health care to hospital patient and clients, the management forced us to file a notice of strike due to management’s union busting moves.”

One-way traffic scheme in flyover construction mulled

THE Bacolod Traffic Management Unit (TMU) will implement a one-way traffic scheme along Barangays Mandalagan and Bata once the construction of the first Bacolod flyover at the Bata-Pepsi intersection starts.

TMU head Police Chief Inspector Levy Pangue said Friday they are still waiting for an advice from the Department of Public Works and Highways before the one-way traffic scheme would be imposed, where vehicles coming from the north have to use the San Juan and Banago area to ease traffic congestion.

Estrada attends inauguration of Sum-ag Nat'l High School building

SENATOR Jinggoy Estrada graced Friday the blessing and inauguration of the Culinary Arts building at Sum-ag National High School, which he funded for P2 million.

Estrada came to Bacolod with his brother, San Juan Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito, former Agusan del Sur representative Ompong Plaza, former senatoriable Jun Lozada and several other personalities.

Decomposing body found

THE body of a construction worker already under a state of decomposition was found Thursday evening inside his residence at Purok San Roque, Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City.

Station 8 commander Police Chief Inspector Danilo Francisco said the victim was discovered and positively identified as Felix Belleza, 38, by his niece at about 7:45 p.m.

Drivers warned against traveling sans permit

THE Bacolod Traffic and Management Unit (TMU) will start apprehending drivers of tricycles and public utility vehicles (PUVs) plying different streets of Bacolod without permit to operate.

Chief Inspector Levy Pangue, TMU head, on Thursday said that starting Monday, March 14, drivers of PUVs and tricycles who failed to secure business permits from the City Mayor's Office will be arrested.

Temporary 12% VAT suspension pushed

THE Negros Occidental Provincial Board plans to pass a resolution asking the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to temporarily suspend the 12 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on oil products.

Fifth district Board Member Dino Yulo, author of the proposed resolution, said this is one of the solutions to the continuing hikes in the prices of petroleum products.

Agreement inked on Estefania automated rain gauge

A MEMORANDUM of agreement (MOA) on the installation of an automated rain gauge facility that will monitor rainfall in the host village and nearby communities was signed recently.

The facility is part of the two-year project funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in partnership with the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa).

Youth council reform bill forum slated today

SAN JUAN Representative Joseph Victor Ejercito will be in Bacolod City Friday to consult the youths on his proposed Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) reform bill.

Toga, school uniforms will do for graduation: DepEd

SCHOOL uniforms or toga will do as graduation outfit for graduating students and pupils during the graduation rites for public schools.

Bacolod City hosts first Nego Franchise Expo 2011

BACOLOD City plays host to the 1st Nego Franchise Expo 2011 in Western Visayas that started Thursday and will run until March 13 at the SM Bacolod Event Center.

P100,000 up for ex-village chief's arrest

BACOLOD CITY -- Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. offered Wednesday P100,000 for the immediate arrest of massacre suspect Noel Ayalin, former captain of Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City.

Bacolod mayor joins march to Supreme Court

BACOLOD City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, along with City Council members, joined the march of city mayors from all over the country to file the motion for reconsideration on the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision approving the conversion of 16 towns into cities.

Caesar Distrito, Em Ang, Al Victor Espino, Mona Dia Jardin, Bobby Rojas, Elmer Sy, Elcid Familiaran, Catalino Alisbo and Sonya Verdeflor were among those Bacolod City councilors who joined the march from Luneta to the SC.

Investor eyes natural gas plant in Negros

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. said another investor has signified its intention to put up a natural gas plant in the province.

The company is a subsidiary of Philinvest Corp, he said, adding that the potential investor is looking for a feasible site for its plant and that the ideal location will be near the existing grid.

8 junior officers assigned to Bacolod police office

EIGHT junior officers from Police Regional Office (PRO) in Western Visayas assumed Wednesday as deputy commanders in the different police stations under Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).

BCPO officer-in-charge Ricardo De la Paz said the assumption into office of eight junior officers was in response to his earlier request to the PRO.

Snatcher arrested

A SNATCHER was arrested Wednesday morning after he victimized a 16-year-old female who was riding a public utility jeepney along Lopez-Jaena Streets, Bacolod.

Mandatory drug testing for cops, army pushed

NEGROS Occidental fourth district Representative Jeffrey Ferrer pushed for mandatory drug testing of policemen and soldiers in the country amid reports involving some of them to illegal drug activity.

The lead agency in implementing the program will be the Department of Health, he said.