“We have not received any report of ‘tuklaw’ in Western Visayas. We assure the public that PDEA is closely watching, and we are in coordination with local law enforcement units to prevent the entry of these harmful cigarettes in our region,” says Director Ralph Rommel Torres of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas.

PDEA on guard vs ‘tuklaw’ cigarettes: No cases yet in WV, but danger looms

ILOILO City – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Region 6 has sounded the alarm on the looming threat of “tuklaw” or “thuoc lao”...
(Left to right) Treñas, Pacanan

City gov’t pulls out of talks with ICDEO as Dizon orders shake-up

ILOILO City – Critical coordination talks between the Iloilo City Government and the Department of Public Works and Highways – Iloilo City District Engineering...
Photo courtesy of GMA News

Iloilo bets on coconuts as new cash crop, targets 10,000-hectare expansion

ILOILO – With vast tracts of farmland still untapped, this province is positioning coconut as its next major cash crop, setting its sights on...

Devolution, looming RPVARA law complicate Iloilo City’s RPT hike

ILOILO City – Mayor Raisa Treñas defended Iloilo City’s real property tax (RPT) adjustments, stressing that the ongoing devolution of national government functions and...
Families and human rights advocates hold a candlelight protest in Iloilo City on August 30, 2025, calling for justice for missing activists Maria Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado, who were abducted 18 years ago, and demanding an end to enforced disappearances. PANAY ALLIANCE-KARAPATAN PHOTO

18 years on, justice still eludes Panay’s disappeared activists

ILOILO City — Eighteen years since the abduction of activist leaders Luisa Posa-Dominado and Nilo Arado, their families and human rights defenders in Panay...
Jose Mari Chan

‘Ber’ months usher in Yuletide mood across WV

ILOILO City – Christmas has officially begun in Western Visayas as September 1 marks the start of the “ber” months, with festive songs and...
This is the 109-meter high dam of the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project II (JRMP II) in Calinog, Iloilo. The mega dam is envisioned to provide irrigation water to farmers, particularly in rice-producing areas. Iloilo is one of the top rice-producing provinces in the country. NIA JALAUR RIVER MULTI-PURPOSE PROJECT STAGE II FACEBOOK PHOTO

NIA-6 denies human rights abuse claims in Jalaur dam project, calls allegations ‘baseless’

ILOILO – The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Region 6 has rejected accusations from anti-dam groups linking the agency to alleged human rights violations in...
This 60-meter pre-stressed concrete girder Cabacanan Bridge in makes Alimodian, Iloilo’s seven organic vegetable-producing upland barangays more accessible. PHOTO FROM BALITA HALIN SA KAPITOLYO

New bridge, gym finally connect Alimodian’s ‘Seven Cities’ to growth

ILOILO – For decades, residents of Alimodian’s upland “Seven Cities” (seven organic vegetable-producing barangays) endured isolation, trudging through rivers and muddy trails just to...

City Hall, DPWH headed for showdown over botched, overlapping projects?

ILOILO City – Amid complaints about botched flood-control works, unfinished gyms, and duplicated projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways–Iloilo City District Engineering...
Atty. Melissa Banias (third from left), operations section chief of the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas, emphasizes the importance of shared responsibility in disaster preparedness during a press briefing on Aug. 27, 2025. The KABALAKA Expo on Aug. 29-30 will highlight Iloilo City’s disaster-readiness through interactive exhibits, response demonstrations, and resilience talks. PNA

2-day KABALAKA Expo to put Iloilo City’s disaster readiness on full display

ILOILO City – Disaster preparedness is taking center stage here as the local government launches the first-ever KABALAKA Expo 2025, a two-day showcase of...