Business

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan officially declared the entire Negros Occidental under a state of calamity Tuesday, June 30, due to the outbreak and continuing spread of the highly destructive Red Striped Soft-Scale Insects (RSSI) in the province’s sugarcane fields that has reached “critical levels.”The Negros Occidental SP’s declaration of a state of calamity was in response to Resolution No. 5 of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) recommending the declaration, which was submitted by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson to the SP on June 26, Board Member Marxlen de la Cruz said.The entire province of Negros Occidental had been placed under a state of calamity due to Tropical Storm "Crising" and the RSSI outbreak affecting sugarcane plantations in July 2025....

Sagay City has strengthened its meat safety and storage system after the National Meat Inspection Service–Negros Island Region granted a License to Operate to the Sagay City Slaughterhouse and Stockyard Auction Market Cold Storage Warehouse.The formal turnover of the license was led by NMIS-NIR Regional Technical Director Dr. Maria Ancilia Zartiga during a courtesy visit with Meat Inspector III Marie Joy Moleño on June 24, a press release from  Sagay City said Monday.With the approval, both the Sagay City Abattoir and Meat Processing Plant and the cold storage warehouse are now accredited by the National Meat Inspection Service and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.The double accreditation is expected to improve consumer confidence, strengthen regulatory compli...

The largest independent planter’s group, Asociacion de Agricultures de la Carlota y Pontevedra Inc. (AALCPI) and the Universal Robina Corporation (URC) mills in Kabankalan and La Carlota cities gave their commitment help  the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) fight the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation in Negros, an SRA press release said Monday, June 29.Former SRA Administrator and AALCPI Manager Dave Alba along with URC SURE Managing Director Rene Cabati, URC CAC head Mario Palma, URC Sonedco Christy Azuro, and La Carlota Mill District Development Chair (MDDC) Florencio Alonso, sat down with SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona and Board Member Ma. Mitzi Mangwag at the SRA Quezon City office, with Board Member David Andrew Sanson present online, on Thursday to discu...