Panay News

All fire personnel required on duty as 219 high-traffic areas come under emergency watch

ILOILO City — All Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) personnel across Western Visayas will be placed on full alert beginning October 30 as authorities brace for potential fires, medical emergencies and other incidents during the peak observance of All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1) and All Souls’ Day (Nov. 2). The regionwide Code Red alert, which […]

Bacolod enforces ‘no permit, no vending’ policy for Undas

BACOLOD City – The Bacolod City government is enforcing a “no permit, no vending” policy in designated areas near cemeteries and public spaces from October 29 to November 2 to ensure orderly vending operations during Undas 2026. More than 200 flower and candle vendors received special permits and identification cards on October 29, authorizing them […]

Marcos vows to defend currency; Peso plunge threatens prices

MANILA — Filipinos face the prospect of higher fuel, food and other commodity prices after the Philippine peso plunged to a historic low of P64.17 against the US dollar, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to assure the public that the government has sufficient resources to defend the weakening currency. The peso’s record depreciation has heightened […]

Iloilo airport crash drill exposes need to assess emergency response gaps

ILOILO — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has yet to determine whether emergency responders can effectively handle a major aircraft disaster at Iloilo International Airport, despite declaring October 28’s full-scale crash simulation successful. CAAP Area Center VI Acting Manager Engr. Diego Eric L. Abecendario acknowledged that shortcomings are inevitable in disaster response […]

Teacher shortage bugs Iloilo Province’s special needs education

ILOILO – Iloilo province has emerged as the country’s most underserved schools division in special needs education (SNED) at the junior high school level, with only one filled special education teaching position for every 902 learners, prompting calls for urgent hiring reforms and a more equitable deployment of specialized teachers. An analysis released by the […]

P220-M barangay dues haunt Iloilo City despite 99.1% audit action rate

ILOILO City — Despite claiming a 99.1-percent action rate on Commission on Audit (COA) recommendations, the Iloilo City Government still faces questions over P220.457 million in outstanding liabilities to barangays and other financial management deficiencies flagged by state auditors. The amount, recorded as of December 31, 2025, included P218.559 million representing barangays’ mandatory 30-percent share […]

Iloilo City to offer free assessments for children with special needs

ILOILO City — Children with special needs as young as infancy will soon have access to free psychological assessments. The city government is preparing to open a new early intervention center in La Paz district, expanding services aimed at identifying developmental concerns and providing timely support. The new RISEABLE Early Intervention Center, located beside La […]

Editorial Cartoon of the Day

A bloody failure of governance

THERE IS something profoundly disturbing about a province that prides itself on agricultural productivity and economic progress yet cannot boast of a single slaughterhouse accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). Not one. Zero. Across Iloilo’s 43 local government units. This is a damning indictment of misplaced priorities, bureaucratic complacency and years of apparent […]

Legacy Awards 2026: Honoring Legacies that Preserve Heritage, Inspire Communities, and Shape the Future

For generations, the Filipino-Chinese community has played a vital role in shaping the Philippines through entrepreneurship, education, philanthropy, culture, and public service. Continuing this proud tradition are three distinguished Filipino-Chinese honorees whose unwavering commitment to excellence has strengthened communities, preserved heritage, and inspired future generations. Through their leadership in media, environmental stewardship, and cultural advocacy, […]

Pag-IBIG financed homes increase 15% to over 68,000 in nine months, socialized housing grows 173% under Marcos’ Expanded 4PH

Pag-IBIG Fund financed over 68,000 homes in the first nine months of 2026, up 15% from the same period last year, as financing for socialized housing nearly tripled under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (Expanded 4PH) Program. The strong growth in socialized housing comes even as Pag-IBIG Fund has […]

NorthPort gets new yard equipment

NorthPort, International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) domestic cargo operation at the Port of Manila, recently took delivery of four new hybrid rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes. Manufactured by Mitsui E&S, the cranes strengthen cargo-handling operations at NorthPort, the Philippines’ primary gateway for domestic cargo. They are also part of the terminal’s modernization program to support […]

HISTORIC SWITCH: Pavia Municipal Hall successfully migrates to MORE Power

PAVIA, Iloilo — MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) has successfully energized the Pavia Municipal Hall. This historic transition marks Pavia as the first local government unit (LGU) to switch its power distribution line to MORE Power. Mayor Laurence Anthony Gorriceta envisions the Pavia LGU becoming more efficient in delivering basic services. The ceremony […]

Total class suspension at 42°c heat index; Even home-based learning must stop – DepEd

ILOILO City — Students across Western Visayas will be completely relieved of schoolwork, including home-based assignments and online learning activities, once the local heat index reaches 42 degrees Celsius, as the Department of Education (DepEd) imposes stricter safeguards against potentially life-threatening extreme heat amid the developing Super El Niño. Under DepEd Memorandum No. 064, series […]