Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) head directed all chiefs of police to strengthen its anti-illegal gambling operations in their areas of responsibility which resulted to the confiscation of various paraphernalia and arrest of suspected solicitors and gamblers.

PSSupt. Ricardo T. De la Paz, NOPPO director related that three persons in Sagay City were nabbed while in the act of soliciting bets, Wednesday.

PCInsp. Edel Jose Manzano, Sagay City Police chief led the operation which collared Jose Manuel Bayot,of Brgy. Fabrica; Jimmy Cuadron and Isaias Gallo, both of Brgy. Maquiling in the City.

Bayot, 28, was caught in the act of collecting bet money for jai-alai and recovered from him were pad papers with written number combinations, Fronton tipster, one mountain bike and P35.00

Eleven journalists from Switzerland visited Negros Occidental to conduct coverage and documentation of the province’s tourism attractions, over the weekend. It was facilitated by Stephan Roemer, Managing Director of TourAsia in collaboration with Isla Negrense and the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.

They were representatives of publishing companies such as Der Sonntag, Tages-Anzeiger, Schweizer Illustrierte, Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Limmattaler Zeitung, Die Sudostschweiz and Redaktionburo Westext Sonntags Zeitung.

Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CENECO) informs its electricity consumers that, in order to ensure the stability of its distribution lines, maintenance activities will be conducted on May 26, 2013, Sunday, as follows:

Date: May 26, 2013 - Sunday

Time: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Reasons:

* Erection of 69KV poles from BAC-UP 7, Mansilingan to NGCP

* Replacement of rotten primary poles and conversion of primary assemblies at Canla-on View Subdivision, Doomsat Street, Murcia

* Tree trimming covering portion of AF3 and AF7

Areas Affected:

8:00 AM - 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

AF3 Alijis Road (from Alijis Substation to Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto), Prk. Gaisano, Celita Village, Negros Metal Corp., Baronessa Metal Corp., Cosmos Bottling, Hillside Subd., La Salle Ville, Hermelinda Homes, Pedrosa Village, St. Vincent’s Subd., Paglaum Village, Manayaosayao-Gonzaga, Canlaon View Subd., Grandville Subd., Brgy. Mansilingan, Olympia Village, Lolita Heights, Regent Pearl-Alijis and Panaad Site. Whole of Murcia and Don Salvador Benedicto. (R14): Brgy. Alegria, Brgy. Sta. Cruz, CPAC (Central Philippine Adventist College)

The Western Visayas Private Schools Athletic Association (WVPRISAA) will hold its general assembly and election of new set of officers at 9am of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University in Iloilo City, according to Roger A. Banzuela, WVPRISAA Technical director.

After the election, the new set of officers will have their first board meeting to tackle concerns in the previous association activity and the future holding of program of activities and the participation in the 2014 National PRISAA.

Tagum City in Davao Del Norte will be the venue of 2014 National PRISAA to be held in April, Banzuela said, adding that the month is the usual date of holding the event. This year’s event was held in Lingayen, Pangasinan last February due to the May 13 midterm election.

Games on Sunday (May 26)

11:00 NHOJS VS. PANASONIC
1:00 NBG VS. DEDING’S EATERY
2:30 SHARP VS. PESO BAYS

TEAM STANDING W-L
Sharp 3-1
NBG 3-1
Panasonic 3-1
Deding’s Eatery 2-2
PESO BAYS 1-3
NHOJS 0-4

The Big Three squads__Sharp, Negros Basketball Group and Panasonic are in for a final test in the last day of elimination of the Condura Cup of Basketball Unified Sports Group 2nd Invitational Tournament for 40 Up on Sunday at Po Hang gym of Bacolod Tay Tung High School here.

Sharp, which faces PESO BAYS, has the best quotient of 1.48 among the trio after giving Panasonic its worst beating, 104-73 last week. If the TV Makers stay sharp and repeat the teamwork it showed against the Ref Makers, the number one spot is theirs.

DUMAGUETE CITY - A do-or-die matches for three teams in Group A will take place Saturday for the last elimination matches for the bracket in the ongoing 2013 PFF Suzuki U23 National Cup at the Gov. Mariano Perdices Memorial Stadium football field.

But based on their standing, Cebu has the edge against the two other teams for having two wins and a draw and no loss card. Cebu will face Iloilo at 2pm Saturday. North Cotabato will play against Baguio-Benguet at 4pm.

Iloilo defeated Baguio-Benguet, 1-0 yesterday with Paul John Acuerdo hitting in the 43rd minute to improve its record with two wins and a loss; the same with North Cotabato that won over Iligan-Dipolog, 3-1 also yesterday.

There are athletes in the country who have inborn talents and potentials. That’s why there is always time to discover them in the grassroots development program. The program of the Department of Education is a good start. The Palarong Pambansa serves the best of it. But the only obstacle with it is "politics". The athletes discovered in that sporting event should be wholly supported in their training and study. But the outcome seems on the other side of the coin. After the athletes perform, they were left in a corner unattended. No follow up. If there are supports, it came before the games, but nothing after. Instead, the athletes with potentials and talents were courted by different schools that need them. Offers come and it is good for them.

Philippine National Games (PNG) is reportedly a venue of discovering potential athletes that will don the country’s colors someday in international sports competitions. Millions are being spent for the holding of PNG by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). In 2011 alone, more than 26 million pesos were spent in the hosting. How about this year? Does it serve its purpose?

7-Eleven, the country’s and the world’s biggest convenience store chain with almost 900 stores nationwide will soon open its first store in Western Visayas. The 24/7 store will be operated by AMG Negros Corporation , and will be located beside Convergys, the largest BPO in the country, in the ground floor of the tallest IT Center in Western Visayas, Two Sanparq- San Antonio Park Square, Lacson St. Mandalagan, Bacolod City owned by AU and Sons Merchandising, Inc .(AUSMI).

The highlight of the May festival of flowers – the Flores de Mayo – in tribute to the Virgin Mary is the Santacruzan.

And paying its tribute to the Virgin Mary will be the Bacolod Cultural Foundation. Inc, (BCF) which presents its annual Santac-ruzan Festival in Bacolod City on Sunday, May 26 at 4pm.

The Santacruzan is a procession commemorating St. Helena’s finding of the Holy Cross. She and her son Constantine the Great, emperor of the Byzantine Empire, made a pilgrimage to Calvary in search of the original cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified,

The procession will feature beautiful young ladies in glittering gowns and will begin at the old City Hall, Araneta St, then to Gonzaga St, onto Gatuslao St, Rizal St and ending at SM, North Level – site of the old SM Department Store.