City council condoles with Lucasan family

THE City Government of Bacolod through a resolution filed by Councilor Caesar Distrito expressed its condolences to the family and relatives of former Vice Mayor Inocencio Y. Lucasan who passed away on March 1, 2011.

City Council congratulates ‘Mighty Mark’

ANOTHER Bacoleno boxer has made a name in the field of international boxing last month.

Anchorman cries harassment

AN ANCHORMAN of RMN-dyHB Radio was allegedly harassed by Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) Director Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan on Sunday at Silay City police station.

Bago resident surrenders firearm

A 56-YEAR-OLD laborer surrendered another homemade caliber .38 revolver to Bago City police officers in support of the Philippine National Police Balik Baril program Monday morning.

Smart's emergency text loan now a permanent service

WIRELESS services provider Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has made permanent its emergency text loan service for its prepaid subscribers.

Ex-village chief won't surrender: official

BACOLOD CITY -- The former village chief who killed four barangay officials in Silay City, Negros Occidental vowed not to surrender and even threatened to commit suicide if the police will arrest him.

Barangay E. Lopez chairman Joedith Gallego, president of Silay City's Association of Barangay Chairmen, bared this Monday after a phone call with the suspect, former Barangay Kapitan Ramon chairman Noel Ayalin.

4 village officials killed in shooting spree

A FORMER barangay chief reportedly killed four village officials and wounded three others in Silay City in Negros Occidental province Sunday morning.

Based on police reports, Noel Ayalin, 48, the former chief of Barangay Kapitan Ramon, reportedly stormed into the barangay session hall where the incumbent officials were about to start their session and opened fire using his .45 caliber pistol.

Rally set Tuesday to mark International Women’s Day

GENERAL Assembly Binding Women for Reform, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action (Gabriela) will stage a rally in Bacolod City on March 8 to observe the 100th year of the International Women’s Day celebration.

“We are observing it this year to remind us of the struggle of the women on the textile factory in New York way back on March 8, 1857,” Gabriela Negros representative Nenita Cherniguin said.

Gabriela backs RH Bill

GENERAL Assembly Binding Women for Reform, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action (Gabriela) issued a position paper on the controversial Reproductive Health bill.

In the 25 years existence of Gabriela National Alliance of Women, in working with and for women, there is no denying the grave situation of the marginalized Filipino especially in terms of lack of service on women’s health in general and much less, women’s reproductive health care, the group said.

Aquino brings Malacañang to Negros

IN HIS first ever official trip in Western Visayas since he assumed the presidency last year, President Benigno Aquino III brought in almost the entire Malacañang to Negros Occidental in his visit Friday.

DOE told to address Negros power needs

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III tasked the Department of Energy to help secure reasonable and reliable power for Negros Occidental to ensure sustainable economic growth.

“We task the Secretary of the Department of Energy to conduct further dialogue with you to ensure that your economic growth is sustained by the availability of reasonable power,” the President said Friday.

President lauds Yellow volunteers

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III met Friday with the various organizations that helped him win in the 2010 elections at the Carmelite Monastery in Mandalagan, Bacolod City.

Led by GSIS Chairman Daniel “Bitay” Lacson and EDSA Commissioner Milagros Kilayko upon entering the monastery, Aquino and his entourage of Cabinet secretaries were warmly received by his volunteers.

Aquino bares economic vision

IN HIS speech before the business community of Negros Occidental Friday, President Benigno Aquino III expressed his pleasure to be back in the province for the first time since the May 2010 elections.

“Your sugar industry is doing very well. Your call center industry also has been doing good, giving people jobs and generating several other industries here,” he enthused.

Retailers control Negros fuel prices

ENERGY Secretary Jose Rene Almendras confirmed Friday that fuel retailers are the ones controlling the pump prices in the province.

“This is one of the reasons why there is a disparity in the prices of fuel products in the provinces like Negros Occidental and in Manila,” he said in a media briefing of economic managers as a sidelight of President Benigno Aquino III’s visit to the province.

Flyover construction to begin this month

DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson announced Friday that the construction of the flyover project at Bata-PEPSI intersection in Bacolod City will be implemented this month.

Singson was among the Cabinet secretaries who came here in Negros Occidental with President Benigno Aquino III in his first presidential visit to Bacolod.

Aquino’s visit peaceful

POLICE Regional Office-6 Director Cipriano Querol Jr. commended Friday the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) for the successful implementation of the security plan during the visit of President Benigno Aquino III in Silay and Bacolod Friday.

According to BCPO officer-in-charge Ricardo De la Paz, Querol commended BCPO and Noppo for ensuring that no militant groups entered the areas where President Aquino had held his activities.

Dynamite kills fisherman

A FISHERMAN was killed Friday morning allegedly by a dynamite explosion at the bay area of Sitio Magsaysay, Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City.

The victim was identified as Risty Ricaros, 37, of Purok Mahimulaton, Barangay Banago, Bacolod City.

Redistricting, flyover concerns await Aquino

THE Negrense for Noynoy Movement (N4NM) will meet with President Benigno Aquino III during his visit to Bacolod City on March 4, with the proposed redistricting and the flyover project as major concerns that will be presented.

N4NM Core Group chairperson Alex Ozoa said they have already written the President to convey their current priority concerns on major problems facing Bacolodnons.

Guv hits SC over cityhood ruling

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. scored the Supreme Court's (SC) flip-flop rulings on the cityhood of 16 municipalities in the country.

The SC upheld the cityhood of the 16 towns in its fourth and latest decision issued last month.

Guv bares initial itinerary in Aquino visit

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. bared Wednesday the initial itinerary of President Benigno Aquino III during his visit in the province on March 4.

The governor also met with members of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and Presidential Security Group (PSG), who made a security briefing for the President's arrival.

Church, military partnership lauded

MAJOR General Vicente Porto, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, lauded the Church and Military Advisory Group (CMAG-Negros) that resulted in the strengthening of the relationship between the church and the military.

CMAG-Negros will celebrate its anniversary in San Carlos City Thursday with Porto as the guest of honor.

Traffic body told to arrest jeepney barkers

BACOLOD City Police Office (BCPO) officer-in-charge Ricardo De la Paz ordered on Wednesday Bacolod Traffic Management Unit (TMU) head Police Chief Inspector Levy Pangue to apprehend jeepney barkers in the city.

This after BCPO received several complaints from different jeepney drivers that they could no longer earn enough because of the demand of some jeepney barkers.

7-day training for police chiefs starts

THE Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) will hold a seven-day workshop training starting Thursday at the Negros Occidental PNP, Kanla-on Hall, Governor's Hall and Captel Provincial Capitol Complex for police chiefs who were earlier relieved from their posts.

Noppo director Allan Guisihan said the leadership enhancement training for police chiefs will be until March 11, which is a prerequisite for all officers who are to be assigned as police chiefs in the different cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental.

BCPO to intensify drive vs illegal gambling

BACOLOD City Police Office (BCPO) officer-in-charge Ricardo De la Paz directed Wednesday the eight police station chiefs to intensify their respective campaigns against illegal gambling after City Councilor El Cid Familiaran gave BCPO a poor performance rating with regard the illicit betting.

Update on Eye Center project sought

BACOLOD City Councilor Roberto Rojas is asking the offices of the City Mayor and City Engineer on the status of the Eye Center at the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH).

Bacolod and CLMMRH entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of the Bacolod Eye Center, which was ratified by the City Council last September 16, 2009.

‘Elderly prisoners entitled to senior citizen’s benefits’

BACOLOD City Councilor Catalino Alisbo is requesting the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (Osca) to issue identification cards and booklets to all elderly prisoners detained at the Bacolod City Jail for them to avail of the benefits under Republic Act 9994.

Alisbo, who chairs the Council Committee on Senior Citizens and Veterans Affairs, said RA 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010 applies to all Filipino citizens 60 years old and above.

Public hearing on vandalism bill held

COUNCILOR Caesar Distrito led in the conduct of a public hearing with regard to his proposed ordinance seeking to prohibit acts of vandalism.

School principals and student government officials from private and public schools in Bacolod, the Bacolod City Police Office, Children’s and Women’s Desk and DSSD representatives also attended the public hearing.

Negros Occidental cities may lose P600M/year

THIRTEEN cities in Negros Occidental may lose P600 million per year in their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) due to the recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the cityhood of 16 towns all over the country.

Additional cities will mean more cities to avail and divide the IRA.

Binay vows to help Talaban

VICE President Jejomar Binay assured the City Council of Bacolod and the parents of Flory May Talaban of his assistance in solving the predicament of the jailed Bacoleña in Ngam Wong Wan Central Women’s Institution in Bangkok, Thailand.

Binay, through his chief of staff Undersecretary Benjamin E. Martinez, Jr., acted on the request for assistance as contained in a City Council resolution authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito requesting him as the Presidential Adviser for Overseas Filipino Workers Concerns to assist the imprisoned Bacoleña.

Capitol’s free calls connect families to Pinoys in Libya

THE Provincial Government has offered a free call service in Capitol for families of Filipino workers in Libya.

Lea Villarama, a relative of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from Barangay RSB in Pontevedra, said they were able to talk to their nephew Riven Arayza who used to work for a catering service company in Tripoli, Libya.