Watchmen Daily Journal
‘Bacolod, NegOcc should work together’
Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez urged the Bacolod City government and the provincial government to work together rather than compete. Speaking as the guest speaker during Bacolod’s 88th Charter Day celebration on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FUNGUS ‘ARMY’ VS. SUGAR PEST
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has ordered the mass production of a naturally occurring fungus to combat the destructive redstriped soft scale insect (RSSI) as the infestation spreads to 4,847.63 hectares of sugarcane farms across the Visayas,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Kanlaon’s constant degassing lowers blast chance: Phivolcs
The continuous degassing at Kanlaon Volcano is a more favorable scenario than a closed volcanic unrest, where pressure can build up and potentially trigger a more explosive eruption. The current activity suggests the volcano’s system remains open,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Raisers look into pattern on rising hog deaths
Hog raisers in Negros Occidental are being urged to tighten biosecurity measures following reports of increasing hog deaths across several local government units in the southern part of the province. The Alliance of Hog Raisers Association of Negros...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SUGARCANE PEST HOTSPOT
Negros Occidental remains the hardesthit province amid the infestation of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in at least 1,949.45 hectares of sugarcane fields, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said, as the pest continues to spread across...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
STRONG ENFORCEMENT OF ANTI-SMOKING ORDINANCE URGED
The Bacolod City council urged authorities to reinvigorate and intensify the enforcement of the city’s Comprehensive AntiSmoking Ordinance through a coordinated multi-agency effort. The Sangguniang Panlungsod urged Mayor Greg Gasataya to direct and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lacson: Freedom carries responsibility
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson underscored the importance of history, freedom and nation-building during the 128th Philippine Independence Day rites at the Provincial Capitol yesterday, stressing that freedom carries continuing...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SECURE PERMITS, BACOLOD TELLS ASENSO MARKET VENDORS
The Bacolod City government will still require vendors at the Asenso Market in Barangay Alijis to secure special permits despite the issuance of a temporary permit as requested by village captain Deogracias de la Vega. “The city council approved the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Prank call, fake food orders prompt BFP warning
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Bacolod City has condemned the spread of false emergency calls after firefighters were dispatched to a supposed residential fire that turned out to be a hoax, while the same address was also allegedly used for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Intensified police visibility urged
The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is urged to intensify police visibility and crime prevention measures following the recent holdup incident involving a female doctor in Barangay 19. Councilor Em Ang, chairperson of the city council committee on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
1,612 NIR cops to secure class opening
The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) has deployed 1,612 police personnel across the region as part of its SAFE Balik Eskwela 2026 initiative to ensure a peaceful, orderly and secure opening of classes today, June 8. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cadiz mayor tells senators: Set aside political rift
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante has expressed concern over the ongoing crisis in the Senate, urging lawmakers to put aside political disputes and return their focus to serving the Filipino people. Speaking in his personal capacity,
Read Full Story (Page 1)
MassKara Coliseum eyed for completion
Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya confirmed that the construction of the Bacolod MassKara Coliseum is now 76 percent complete. Gasataya, who inspected the coliseum yesterday, said the contractor has been given until September of this year to complete...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CLOUDSEEDING TO EASE CROP DAMAGE SHELVED
DA-NIR Regional Director Jose Albert Barrogo said the agency has placed the proposed artificial rainmaking activities on hold as weather conditions have improved with the arrival of the rainy season. “With the rainy season already underway,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Who gets the P100-K reward for robbery suspects’ info?
The Bacolod City government is now coordinating with the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) for the release of the P100,000 reward to informants in helping the arrest of the suspects who allegedly robbed a female doctor at her apartment in Bacolod...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ROAD CLOSURE FOR SEABA QUALIFIERS JUNE 2 TO 6
The Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department (BTTMD) will implement a temporary road closure along Hilado Street (L.N. Agustin Drive to Lopez Jaena Street) starting today until Saturday, June 6, for the city’s hosting of the 2026 FIBA U18...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ARMED STRUGGLE REMAINS ACTIVE
The National Democratic Front (NDF) - Negros has disputed recent claims by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) that the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros has already...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Environmental advocates reject permits for bulk water project
Environmental groups and disaster risk reduction specialists are urging local government units in northern Negros Occidental to reject approvals for the proposed P1.2-billion Negros Occidental bulk water supply project, citing what they described as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WATER RESERVES CAN’T KEEP PACE
The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) is set to conduct cloudseeding operations in Negros Occidental and other parts of Western Visayas in the first week of July, as the government moves to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and moisture...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
P250-M bridge to link 2 Moises Padilla brgys
A proposed P250-million bridge project aimed at restoring a critical transport link between Barangays Montilla and Macagahay in Negros Occidental’s Moises Padilla town has moved into a key evaluation stage following a site inspection conducted by the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Toboso mayor slams Noneco over board poll Jaojoco open to power coop’s structural reforms
Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco criticized the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) for what he described as a lack of transparency in the long-delayed election of its board of directors, saying the cooperative’s governance issues are now...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NegOcc execs back P12-B farm-to-market road program
Local chief executives in Negros Occidental have expressed strong support for the proposed P12-billion farm-tomarket road program endorsed by the Provincial Development Council (PDC), describing it as a major step toward modernizing agriculture and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
CERNET not cleared amid terror financing case dismissal: army
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) has backed the position of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) legal cooperation cluster on the dismissal of the terrorism financing case filed against Community
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gasataya condemns on-air rape joke
Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya has strongly condemned statements aired in a radio broadcast that allegedly treated sexual assault and violence against women as a subject of humor, calling the incident a “failure of empathy” and a betrayal of public...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘On-air rape joke a serious breach of media ethics’
A local radio broadcaster’s remarks allegedly trivializing rape and violence against women went viral and sparked public backlash, drawing strong condemnation from women’s groups, press organizations, lawmakers, and a national government task...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
EXTREME WEATHER, FEWER SCHOOL DAYS
Public schools in the Negros Island Region (NIR) lost a total of 19 school days due to class suspensions linked to climate-related events in a three-month period last year, data from the Department of Education during the Second Congressional...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
INSURGENCY TEARS FAMILIES APART
Many young people eventually become estranged from their families once they start as activists or members of advocacy groups to become armed operatives, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said, raising concern...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NTF-ELCAC alarmed over youth ‘terror grooming’
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) renewed its warning against alleged communist rebel recruitment among the youth following the death of former student leader Vince Francis Dingding during an armed encounter in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
5 ‘REBELS’ KILLED IN CLASH ANEW
A timely tip from residents led to a series of armed encounters that resulted in the neutralization of five alleged remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) South West Front at Barangay Abaca in Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town on Saturday, May...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘STAGED’ GUNFIRE TO ADVANCE INTERESTS?
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson condemned the chaotic incident and reported gunfire inside the Senate during the tense standoff involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, describing the situation as “embarrassing and shameful” for the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Senator calls for full probe into Senate shooting scare
A senator called for a full and independent investigation into the shooting incident that occurred at the Senate on Wednesday night, May 13, saying the violence stemmed from Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s refusal to face legal proceedings tied to a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
LOWER OUTPUT, HIGHER PRICES
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said sugar production for the next crop year is expected to decline by seven to nine percent but expressed hope that mill gate prices will improve due to the current oversupply of raw sugar.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cop dies, 2 others hurt in buy-bust
A 38-year-old police officer was killed while two others were injured during a buy-bust operation against an alleged street-level drug personality at Barangay Talaptap in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town late Monday night, May 11. Police Master...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lacson backs airport expansion, convention center push in Silay
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has expressed support for major infrastructure projects being proposed in Silay City, saying these developments could strengthen tourism and investment in Negros Occidental. Among the projects being...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Benitez withdraws call for Toboso clash inquiry
Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javi Benitez said he will no longer push for a congressional inquiry into the April 19 encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 people dead, saying ongoing investigations by proper...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Negros 19’ autopsy findings challenge military claims
Autopsy findings on the 19 individuals killed in a military operation in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, including two Filipino-Americans, have raised questions over the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) claim that the incident was a legitimate...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Elderly woman dies in fire after letting husband save himself
A 79-year-old woman died after reportedly letting her husband escape a residential fire that razed several homes at Purok Maanyag 2 in Bacolod City’s Barangay Alijis on Tuesday night, May 6. Rosa Magbanua allowed her husband, 62-year-old Jose...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NegOcc sustainable energy framework drives renewable push
Bringing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy to small communities is at the heart of Negros Occidental’s energy transition, as the province advances its energy framework for 2030 alongside the Renewable Energy Week Expo 2026 set for May 7 to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘NO CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP’
The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) expressed full confidence in the board led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco TiuLaurel, Jr. and SRA Administrator Pablo Luis...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Army, ‘NPA’ clash anew in Cauayan
Government troops clashed with suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) at Barangay Masaling in Negros Occidental’s Cauayan town early yesterday morning, the Philippine Army said. Lt. Colonel Dennis Martinez, commanding officer of the 47th...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
32 groups call for justice in Toboso clash deaths
A coalition composed of 32 civil society and church organizations has called for justice, transparency and lasting peace following the deaths of 19 individuals in a violent encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on April 19, as the national...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
WORKERS’ BURDEN: MAKING ENDS MEET
A local workers’ group marked Labor Day with a sharp critique of government leadership, saying the annual celebration has lost its meaning for ordinary workers amid rising prices, stagnant wages and alleged corruption.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Visayan power grid under ‘low reserves’: ACCESS
The Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) has raised alarm over what it describes as a “converging storm” threatening power stability in the Visayas, citing thin supply reserves and escalating global oil risks as...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
19 DEATHS A ‘MASSACRE’
A wildfire continues to spread within Kanlaon Volcano’s permanent danger zone (PDZ), affecting more than 100 hectares of forestland, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said. The grass fire, which started around 10:00 a.m. on...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
9 KILLED IN CLASH WERE CIVILIANS, NPA INSISTS
The New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Island has asserted that not all those killed in the encounter at Barangay Salamanca in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on April 19 were armed combatants, claiming that nine civilians were among the fatalities. In...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ARMY OPEN TO CHR PROBE INTO CLASH
The Philippine Army has expressed readiness to cooperate with an investigation by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) into the April 19 military operation in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 people dead. Army spokesperson Colonel Louie...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
30 nabbed in ‘e-sabong’ raid
Authorities arrested 30 individuals and dismantled a suspected illegal online cockfighting or “e-sabong” operation during a joint law enforcement raid at Barangay Concepcion in Negros Occidental’s Talisay City. The operation, led by the Criminal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fil-Am among killed in Toboso clash
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has expressed condolences following the reported death of an American citizen of Filipino descent during an armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on Sunday, April...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
INSURGENTS OR CIVILIANS?
The rest [of the victims] were civilians documenting a peasant activity, standing alongside farmers who are consistently pushed to the margins by land-grabbing and systemic neglect. Why are they at the encounter site, armed and shooting at...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NO TAX RAPS EXPECTED?
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has confirmed it cannot file tax violation charges against suspects arrested in recent raids on warehouses where alleged smuggled cigarettes were discovered in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental’s Bago City due to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RETURN TO FOLD OF LAW
The Diocese of San Carlos has issued a pastoral statement expressing deep sorrow and renewed calls for peace following a recent armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town between government security forces and suspected members of the New...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
TROOPS KILL NPA HITMAN
A suspected hitman of the New People’s Army (NPA) identified as Roger Fabillar, also known as “Jhong” and “Arnel Tapang,” was among 19 alleged rebels killed in a series of armed encounters with government troops at Barangay Salamanca in Negros...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
P12.8-B LOSSES FLAGGED
The resolution directs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into concerns raised by industry stakeholders over excessive sugar imports and possible mismanagement within the Sugar...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Bacolod energy efficiency practices get DOE nod
The Bacolod City government has been rated highly compliant by the Department of Energy (DOE) with the Government Energy Management Program (GEMP). The observation was based on the spot check conducted by the team from the DOE - Visayas led by...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Transport group dismayed over low turnout in strike
Transport group Bacolod Alliance for Commuters, Operators and Drivers (BACOD) - Manibela expressed disappointment over the lack of support from various sectors during a protest rally and transport strike in Bacolod City yesterday. In an interview,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
RELEASE SUGAR ORDER MINUTES
In a statement, the council supported the call of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines - Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Nacusip-TUCP) for the release of the minutes of Sugar Board meetings, especially those...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
BEYOND CONTROL GROUP SEES POWER RATE HIKE ‘UNAVOIDABLE’
In an advisory, ACCESS said the ongoing geopolitical tensions are driving up fuel costs, which in turn push electricity prices higher. ACCESS President Wennie Sancho warned that consumers should prepare for the impact, noting that government efforts...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FESTIVAL OF FESTIVALS
Nearly 900 security personnel from the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region will ensure peace and order during the 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival, which will kick off today, April 13, 2026.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NO TAX BURDEN
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the reassessment of property values is mandated under Republic Act No. 12001, which seeks to modernize and standardize real property valuation nationwide. Diaz explained that provincial, city and...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
LABOR GROUP WARNS OF POWER RATE HIKE AMID OIL PRICE SURGE
Consumers may soon face higher electricity bills as global oil prices continue to climb due to tensions in the Middle East, a consumer advocacy group said. In a press statement, the Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
1,500 NIR police to secure Araw ng Kagitingan
The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) will deploy nearly 1,500 personnel across the region to ensure a safe and orderly observance of Araw ng Kagitingan today. The large-scale security operation will cover key areas of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fuel subsidy payout for tricycle drivers begins
The distribution of fuel subsidies and cash assistance for qualified tricycle drivers in Bacolod City will start today until Friday, April 10, led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in coordination with the city government. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gun ban imposed for Panaad Festival security
A temporary suspension of permits to carry firearms outside residences will be enforced in Bacolod City from April 13 to 19 as authorities tighten security for the 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival. The directive, issued by the Philippine National Police...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
DRY SEASON DILEMMA
Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr. cautioned that unresolved financial and operational issues involving Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa) and its joint venture partner PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp.
Read Full Story (Page 1)
QUIETER THAN USUAL
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson reported a visible decline in tourist traffic to popular road trip destinations like Don Salvador Benedicto town, signaling what could be a quieter-than-usual Holy Week for local tourism...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
REQUEST EXTENSION
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Negros Island Region (DENR-NIR) confirmed that the Pollution Adjudication Board issued a temporary lifting order, permitting Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) ethanol-producing facility to...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
BIODIESEL PROJECT SEEN TO CUT FUEL COSTS OF UP TO 50%
Farmers and fisherfolk could save up to 50 percent on fuel expenses through the use of biodiesel, according to project proponents, following the relaunch of a renewable energy initiative at the Barangay Taculing Community Center in Bacolod City...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
LUKAY VENDOR WEAVES PALM SUNDAY TRADITION ALIVE
Faith, family and tradition continue to intertwine outside San Sebastian Cathedral in Bacolod City as 74-year-old Maria Rita Bantillo carries on a 47-year-long livelihood of selling woven palm fronds, locally known as “ramos” or “lukay,” every Palm...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
ECOSYSTEMS UNDER THREAT
In their manifesto, participants and stakeholders examined ecological interconnections and promoted climate-resilient farming practices, including so-called “green carbon” initiatives, following a two-day summit dubbed “Panguma” that brought together...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
NIR BACKS PGN BRIDGE
The NIR Regional Development Council confirmed its unified support for the PGN Bridge Project during the 1st Quarter 2026 Full Council Meeting held in Siquijor on March 24. Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the region remains aligned...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
BIOETHANOL DEMAND BOOST
The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines - Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Nacusip-TUCP) has expressed strong support for the proposal to raise the country’s ethanol blend from E10 (10 percent) to E15 (15...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
FLOOD HIGH RISK
Vice Mayor Rhumyla Nicor Mangilimutan confirmed that the local government is finalizing a collaboration with Jerry Sy, chief executive officer of Silver Dragon Inc., to undertake full-scale dredging operations on the town’s major river system at no...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
Transport groups to hold strike, rally today
Several transport groups in Bacolod City called for public understanding as they prepare to stage a transport strike and protest rally on Monday, March 23, citing the continued surge in fuel prices and lack of sufficient government support. Members of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
NACUSIP-TUCP WANTS SRA TO EXPLAIN SUGAR PRICE DROP
A major labor group in the sugar sector called for greater transparency and leadership changes within the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) amid the recent decline in sugar prices. In a statement, the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar...
Read Full Story (Page 2)
INQUIRY TRIGGERS SLUMP?
“Ang hearing nga ila ginabasol, amo ang nagprotekta sa aton,” Benitez said, underscoring that the inquiry aimed to stabilize the industry and support farmers. He described as “baseless and irresponsible” the allegations circulating online that linked...
Read Full Story (Page 2)