Negros Occidental News

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List of Municipalities in the Negros Occidental Province of the Philippines
Binalbagan || Calatrava || Candoni || Cauayan || Enrique B. Magalona || Hinigaran || Hinoba-An || Ilog || Isabela || La Castellana || Manapla || Moises Padilla || Murcia || Pontevedra || Pulupandan || Salvador Benedicto || San Enrique || Toboso || Valladolid
Cities in the province of Negros Occidental: Bacolod City (Capital) || Bago City || Cadiz City || Escalante City || Himamaylan City || Kabankalan City || La Carlota City || Sagay City || San Carlos City || Silay City || Sipalay City || Talisay City || Victorias City
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Negros Occidental Archived News

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Negros Occidental - Archived News

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Negros shows potential for drive, organic tourism

By Carla N. Canet

FORMER Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor, currently the president of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), said that Negros Occidental has great potentials for drive and organic tourism that could attract both national and International tourists.

Gabor led 70 AAP members for the three-day Fly-Drive Caravan that started last Friday, May 17.

Gabor said that, during their tour at The Ruins and Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, the old houses and the Hawaiian–Philippine Company for steam locomotive ride in Silay City, the Negros Producers Showroom, the Museo Negrense de La Salle, the Bacolod Government Center, the Rafa Valley in Don Salvador Benedicto town and the Mambucal resort in Murcia town, they realized that the province has a lot to offer.

With wide and well paved roads, she said, Negros Occidental will indeed become one of the country’s centers of drive tourism, a self-drive but also service-provided travel between one to multiple destinations and stopover locations.

The Fly-Drive Caravan organized by AAP, DOT and Caltex, centered on the theme “A Food Expedition, a Walk through Heritage Sites and a Farm Tourism Experience”, is aimed at providing educational summer vacation to all tour participants by tasting the province’s local cuisine, by learning the art of organic farming and by discovering its rich history.

“Everywhere we’ve been is a veritable museum which is an inspiration not only for people but for exporters as well. We were looking at old designs and pieces that you have which can be recreated for today’s use,” Gabor said.

“Bacolod and Negros Occidental has a lot of good things to offer. You can stay here for a long time and not run out of things to do, as there are many activities here - may it be in land, air and sea,” she added.

To further boost the drive tourism concept in Negros Occidental, AAP is eyeing the establishment of a local chapter in the province to encourage Negrense to join their group.

Aside from drive tourism, Negros Occidental is also a potential hub for farm tourism, Gabor said.

Negros Occidental is a pioneer in the promotion of organic farming in the Philippines and this industry is now starting to move fast against non-organic produce, she said.

‘Neg. Occ. has great tourism potential’

BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III

Negros Occidental has great potentials for drive and farm tourism that could attract both national and international tourists, former Department of Tourism Secretary Guillermina Gabor, said yesterday.

Gabor, now the president of the Automobile Association of Philippine Travel, was in the province with about 70 other members for the three-day Fly-Drive Caravan that started Friday.

Gabor said that during their tour of the Ruins and the Natures Village Resort in Talisay City, the old houses and the Hawaiian – Philippines Co. steam locomotive rides in Silay City, the Negros Showroom, the Museo Negrense de La Salle, the Bacolod Government Center, the Rafa Valley in Don Salvador Benedicto town, and the Mambukal Resort in Murcia town, they realized that the province has a lot to offer.

With wide and well-paved roads, she said, Negros Occidental will indeed become one of the country’s centers of drive tourism, a self-drive but also service-provided travel between one to multiple destinations and stopover locations.

The Fly-Drive Caravan organized by AAP, DOT and Caltex, centered on the theme: A Food Expedition, a Walk through Heritage Sites and a Farm Tourism Experience and is aimed at providing an educational summer vacation to all tour participants by tasting the province’s local cuisine, by learning the art of organic farming and by discovering its rich history.

“Everywhere we’ve been is a veritable museum which is an inspiration, not only for people but for exporters as well. We were looking at old designs and pieces you have which can be recreated for today’s use”, Gabor said.

“Bacolod and Negros Occidental have a lot of good things to offer, you can stay here for a long time and not run out of things to do as there are many activities here, may it be on land, air or sea”, she added.

To further boost the drive-tourism concept in Negros Occidental, AAP is eyeing the establishment of a local chapter in the province to encourage Negrense to join their group.

Aside from drive tourism, Negros Occidental is also a potential hub for farm tourism, Gabor said.

Negros Occidental is a pioneer in the promotion of organic farming in the Philippines and this industry is now starting to move fast against non-organic produce, she said.

4.8 quake jolts Negros Occidental

(PNA), JBP/CLTC

MANILA, May 19 (PNA) -- The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that a magnitude 4.8 earthquake jolted the Negros Occidental on Sunday morning.

Phivolcs said that the quake, which was tectonic in origin occurred at 5:06 a.m. with its epicenter traced at nine kilometers northwest of Hinoba-an town in Negros Occidental and had depth of 39 kilometers.

Intensity 4 was felt at Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental while intensity 3 was recorded at Sipalay in Negros Occidental and Bayawan City in Negros Oriental.

The agency said that no damage or casualty was reported and aftershocks are not expected.

Neg. Occ. setting standards for organic food production

BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

PASAY CITY – Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat last night lauded Negros Occidental for setting the benchmark for organic food production in the country.

Negrense organic food has not only gone national, it has penetrated the international market, she told the DAILY STAR at the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) Philippines 2013, Asia's Ethnic Food and Ingredients Show, at the SMX Convention Center here.

Negros is the only island in the country that has gone all-out in organic production, she said.

In fact, most of the organic products that the Department of Agriculture brings to the organic trade shows that it joins abroad, are from Negros Occidental, said Puyat, who attended cocktails hosted by the Negros Occidental provincial government, led by Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., here last night.

She cited the rice, muscovado sugar, coffee and coco sugar as among the organic products they have brought to exhibits in Europe.

Puyat stressed the need for good packaging and adequate supply of organic products to succeed in penetrating the international market.

Negros Occidental small and medium entrepreneurs are showcasing their products at the ongoing exhibit alongside 650 local and international exhibitors on top of the 20 US-based companies brought in by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Marañon said the participation of the Negros Occidental producers gives them new opportunities to break into the international markets and go global.

Negros Occidental is famous for its food, and the participation of its producers at the ongoing trade fair here is indicative of their pursuit to make out products world-class, the governor said.

It also puts Negros Occidental on the map as one of the top food destinations of the world, he added.

Marañon said the participation of Negros Occidental in the four-day trade fair that ends Sunday, was successful.

He also said they have received so many inquiries from local and international buyers.

The food exhibition is organized by the International Trade Expositions and Missions, the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry, and co-organized by the DA-Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service.

Also at the food show here yesterday were Negros Occidental Board Members Miller Serondo and Salvador Escalante.

Int’l food exposition kicks off with 26 Neg. Occ. exhibitors

(APN )

Twenty-six exhibitors from Negros Occidental joined the soft opening of the 9th edition of the International Food Expo Philippines at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City yesterday.

About 800 exhibitors are participating in the expo this year that aims at promoting healthier food options through Green Asia, a showcase of healthy, natural, and organic food, Josephine Fernandez, Negros Occidental Agri-Business coordinator, said.

Fernandez said the food expo is being promoted by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions, an export promotions agency of the Department of Trade and Industry, and will run until Sunday.

Other countries joining the food expo are China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Turkey.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. attended the opening of the booths of exhibitors from the province.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, DTI undersecretary Ponciano Mando, Philippine international Trading Corporation president Ma. Lourdes Baua, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and CITEM Director Rosvi Gaetos of the Bureau of Export and Trading welcomed the participants.

As of yesterday, Fernandez said, there were already interested buyers negotiating with Negros Occidental exhibitors, but the sales report data was not yet available.

The food expo focuses on four product showcase that include Power Fruits Asia for major tropical fruit exports; Seafood Asia for fresh marine produce; Halal Food Asia for Halal-certified delicacies; and Green Asia for natural and organic food.

The province was named the lone partner local government unit of IFEX 2013.

The products by Virgie's, Felicia's, Casa Carmela, Quan's, and a wide range of organic products from Alter Trade, Himaya-an Deli, Fresh Start, Options MPC, KITS Herbs, SanCa Balik Kalikasan, Federico's Wines, Kalipayan Products, Sir Jess, Sofia seafood, HLS Aqua, El Ideal, SJ Veloria's Squid rings, Negros Binhi, Saring's Special Bago-ong, T-Flavors, Negros Island Rainforest Organic Coffee are displayed at the expo.

DTI Regional Director Dominic Abad commended the provincial government for its support to local producers, saying that the IFEX is a goldmine of business opportunities.

11 PVO med missions reach 26,398 animals

(LTG)

A total of 26,398 farm animals were vaccinated, dewormed, and treated in 11 medical missions conducted by the Provincial Veterinary Office to seven local government units in Negros Occidental recently, its vet mission performance record showed.

Dr. TishaCanson, vet mission coordinator said, they conducted vaccination, deworming, and provided animal supplement to cattle, carabao, swine, goats, and poultry.

They serviced 24,500 chickens, 778 swine, 639 goats, 347 carabao, and 134 cattle, Canson said.

The vet missions were conducted in the cities of Victorias, Himamaylan, and Kabankalan, and in the towns of Calatrava, Valladolid, Murcia, and EB Magalona, she also said.

PVO also distributed free medicines, vaccines, and electrolytes to the backyard raisers, Canson added.

The mass vet mission is a campaign of PVO that aims to prevent heat stroke and other diseases that may affect the animals particularly in far-flung areas, Dr. RenanteDecena, provincial veterinarian, said.

Decena also cautioned raisers to closely monitor the health of their farm animals especially that weather conditions have started to change.

He said they have to provide proper shelter for their animals because rains have started to pour even if it is not yet the wet season.

More mayors proclaimed, 4 incumbents lose

BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

It could be a 17-14win for the Love Negros-Nationalist People’s Coalitionteam of Genaro Alvarez Jr. in the race forthe 31 mayoral seats of Negros Occidental, initial Commission on Elections results showed yesterday.

And there were four incumbent mayors who lost their reelection bids: Marxlen de la Cruz (United Negros Alliance) of Don Salvador Benedicto, Francisco Nazareno (UNA) of Moises Padilla, Jechonias Manzano (NPC) of Candoni, and Ma. Teresa Bilbao (NPC) of Hinoba-an.

The winning mayors of the four towns are Jose Max Ortiz (Independent aligned with NPC) of DSB; Ella Garcia (NPC), Moises Padilla;Cicero Borromeo (UNA), Candoni; and Ernesto Estrao Jr. (UNA), Hinoba-an.

The following are the winning and proclaimed mayors:

FIRST DISTRICT

San Carlos City: Gerardo Valmayor Jr. (NPC) – 25,716 votes – unopposed winner.

Calatrava: Araceli Somosa (NPC) – 7,087, Fernando Leonor (UNA) – 6,824.

Toboso: Richard Jaojoco (UNA) – 5,979, Inday Maling dela Cruz (LP) – 4,737.

Escalante City: Beboy Yap (NPC) – 12,226, proclaimed winner versus Santiago Barcelona (UNA) – 8,380. Yap said he hopes accusations against him, that he called “politically motivated”, would end with his victory against Barcelona.

Don Salvador Benedicto: Jose Max Ortiz (Independent) proclaimed winner versus Marxlen dela Cruz (LP).

SECOND DISTRICT

Sagay City: Alfredo Marañon III (National Unity Party) – 29,263, Romeo Apurado (Independent) – 678.

Cadiz City: Patrick Escalante (LP/UNA) – 19,986, Manuel Garganera III (Independent) – 3,163, Simeon Bacolado Jr., (Ind.) – 342.

Manapla: Lourdes Escalante (LP) – 9,604, Edilberto Vocal Jr. (NPC) – 5,988.

THIRD DISTRICT

Victorias City: Francis Palanca (LP) – 7,996, Felix Montinola, (Ind.) – 3,614, Nity Sta. Ana-Bartolome, (Ind.) – 2,809.

E.B. Magalona: David Lacson (NPC) – 12,672, unopposed winner.

Silay City: Jose Montelibano (LP) – 21,568, Carlo Gamban (NPC) – 20,636 (still hotly contested).

Talisay City: Eric Saratan (LP) – 22,009, was proclaimed winner versus Amelito Lizares (UNA) – 10,870.

Murcia: Andrew Montelibano (NPC) – 15,386, was proclaimed winner versus Sonny Coscolluela (UNA) – 10,693, and General Reyes (Independent) – 2,824.

FOURTH DISTRICT

Bago City: Ramon Torres (NPC) – 33,502, unopposed winner.

Pulupandan: Miguel Peña (NPC) – 10,610, unopposed winner.

Valladolid: Romel Yogore (NPC) – 7,586, Gloria Gomez (UNA) – 5,302.

San Enrique: Mayok Magno (UNA) – 6,277, won by 20 votes versus Jilson Tubillara (NPC) – 6,257, Pedro Bolaño (Independent) – 74.

La Carlota City: Juliet Ferrer (Lakas/UNA) – 16,243, won versus Ann Joan Lenling (Independent) – 1,046.

Pontevedra: Jose Maria Alonso (NPC/UNA) – 10,956, George Gitano (Independent) – 7,509, Roel Deles (Ind.) – 106.

FIFTH DISTRICT

Hinigaran: Hermilo Aguilar (UNA) – 9,179, Caroll Guanco (NPC) – 7,263.

Binalbagan: Emmanuel Aranda (LP) – 16,316, Leopoldo Gepes (NPC) – 3,794.

Himamaylan City: Tinto Bascon (NPC) – 24,497, proclaimed winner against his uncle, Antonio Gatuslao, (LP) – 18,401.

Isabela: Enrique Montilla (NPC) – 14,039, unopposed winner.

Moises Padilla: Ella Garcia (NPC) – 6,663, Frank Nazareno (LP) – 5,162.

La Castellana: Alberto Nicor Jr. (UNA) – 10,813, Enrico Elumba (NPC) – 10,468.

SIXTH DISTRICT

Kabankalan: Isidro Zayco (NPC) – 46,027, unopposed winner.

Ilog: Genaro Rafael Alvarez (NPC) and his brother, John Paul Alvarez, were proclaimed winning mayor and vice mayor, respectively, yesterday, their father, Vice Governor Alvarez Jr., said.

Candoni: Cicero Borromeo (Independent) – 3,944, Jechonias Manzano (LP) – 3,141.

Cauayan: John Rey Tabujara (NPC) – 19,801, unopposed winner.

Sipalay: Oscar Montilla Jr. (NPC) – 14,864, Pastor Salomante (Independent) – 2,659.

Hinoba-an: Ernesto Estrao (UNA) won versus incumbent mayor Ma. Teresa Bilbao (NPC).

Negros Occidental: Incumbent gov beats Danding bet

By Gilbert Bayoran (Rappler.com)

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Negros Occidental Gov Alfredo Marañon looked close to securing a new term with a strong lead over Vice Gov Genaro Alvarez Jr., backed by business tycoon and sugar baron Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco.

According to the unofficial, provisional count at 2:04 pm, Marañon had obtained 416,834 votes compared to Alvarez's 286,505.

The incumbent's running mate however was losing against Eugenio Jose Lason, on the ticket of Alvarez, also supported by Liberal Party provincial chairman Rep Alfredo Benitez.

Acting Commission on Elections (Comelec) supervisor Wil Arceno said the proclamation of the candidates for governor and vice governor will most likely occur on Wednesday in Negros Occidental, with about 1.5 million voters.

The Provincial Board of Canvassers in Bacolod is still waiting for results from 17 cities and municipalities.

‘No power outages in Neg. Occ. today'

BY ADRIAN P. NEMES III

“No power outages in today's election”

The assurance was made by the general managers of the three electric firms in Negros Occidental Saturday adding that they will ensure enough power supply even after the casting of votes until the winners are proclaimed.

Central Negros Electric Cooperative general manager Simplicio Lagarde said their power supply is more than enough since it's a holiday and electric requirement is not that high compared to normal days.

Lagarde said the task force they formed has already inspected all the schools in their service areas that will be utilized as polling precincts and ensured that the electrical connections are serviceable.

He said the random power outages experienced by their concessioners days before the election were caused by the rehabilitation of their electric feeders.

Lagarde added that CENECO also had standby crews and equipment to address electrical concerns while their telephone lines are open in case personnel from the Commission on Elections need their help.

Personnel from the VMCRural Electric Service Cooperativeservicing towns and cities in the first and second district of Negros Occidental will also be on alert to assist COMELEC staff members, its general manager, Arturo Cabrera, told the DAILY STAR.

Cabrera said he has instructed them since two weeks ago to make sure that the electricity in all polling precincts in the areas they cover is continuous and will not fluctuate before, during and after the elections.

He said they also donated electrical wires to a school in Calatrava town since their old ones need to be replaced.

Meanwhile,Negros Occidental Electric Cooperativegeneral manager Cornelio Somodio, Jr. said they have been preparing for the elections since last month.

Somodio said the personnel of NOCECO met with representatives of COMELEC from the towns and cities of the fourth, fifth and sixth districts and discussed how to prevent power interruption during election, and while the votes are being counted.

He said they provided the contact details of their field engineers to the COMELEC personnel in their service areas so they can report if there are power interruptions and NOCECO can respond immediately.

The electric firms also asked help from the Philippine National Police and the army to secure their sub-stations, especially those located in far-flung areas.

Mayor uses cop’s affidavit on planted evidence

By Carla P. Gomez (Inquirer Visayas)

BACOLOD CITY—Mayor Magdaleno Peña of Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, is presenting a witness who he said can bolster claims that police planted evidence against him during a raid on his family’s ancestral house last May 2.

SPO1 Rosendo Bersal Jr. executed an affidavit saying that he and other policemen didn’t find any explosives when they raided the house in Barangay Ubay, Pulupandan.

He also claimed that the 90 firearms recovered from the ancestral house were covered with licenses.

The affidavit said the policeman was denying seeing explosives inside the house. “I was even surprised when I was informed about the alleged recovery of said explosives,” Bersal’s affidavit said.

Copies of the affidavit were distributed by Peña at a press conference on Thursday.

Pena said the guns that police seized were all licensed under four corporations. He said the explosives that police presented as evidence were planted.

Bersal, a policeman for 36 years, said in his affidavit that he was part of the team that searched the ancestral house.

More security for 2 towns, city sought

BY CARLA P. GOMEZ

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday informed Provincial Elections Supervisor Wil Arceño that he has received reports that certain groups are preparing to intimidate voters on election day in Pulupandan and Moises Padilla towns, and Escalante City.

Marañon asked Arceño to approve the deployment of Philippine Army personnel from Minoyan, Murcia to Pulupandan and Moises Padilla, and those of the Special Action Force based in Sagay City to the city of Escalante.

“This is to ensure the holding of free, honest and peaceful elections on Monday,” the governor added.

Arceño said the request of the governor is very good but since that entails the realignment of forces, he has to contact the police and the Army to determine if they have available forces for deployment.

Arceño said he also have to seek approval from his superior before that can be granted.

Meanwhile, Marañon yesterday called on Negrenses to go out and vote on Monday.

“Doing your duty means going to the polls early, exercising your right of suffrage, and helping monitor that the conduct of the election is clean and orderly,” Marañon, who reiterated that he hopes that Negrenses will re-elect him for another three-year term, said.

He also said that Negrenses can do their civic duty as Filipinos, not only by voting on Monday, but also by ensuring that vote-buying is not tolerated.

Do not elect those who will buy your votes, Marañon said.

“Choose according to what your conscience tells you, not who has the money and the guns,” he said.

“Vote for candidates who have proven track records and concrete programs for development and growth, not those who keep hurling baseless and malicious accusations, without concrete plans of action to sustain the momentum that our province has attained in the past years,” Marañon said.

Both Marañon and his runningmate, Melvin Ibañez, also expressed their appreciation to thousands of Negrenses who showed their solid support at their miting de avance this week in the cities of La Carlota, Kabankalan and San Carlos.

Negros Occidental Archived News

The older news reports are kept here.

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