Business

“We are witnessing the systematic destruction of the Philippine sugar industry," BIPA said.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Binalbagan-Isabela Planters’ Association (BIPA) has issued an urgent call for immediate government intervention and a comprehensive leadership audit of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).BIPA, in its statement of “indignation” issued on Tuesday, March 3, said “we are witnessing the systematic destruction of the Philippine sugar industry—a pillar of our national economy and the lifeblood of millions—while the very government agencies mandated to protect us stand by in a state of paralyzed indifference."The situation has transitioned from a "crisis" to almost total market collapse, it said.Sugar prices in the Philippines have plummeted to their lowest...

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) - Negros Oriental said on Tuesday, March 3, that it is coordinating with major retailers in the province to ensure that prices of basic necessities and prime commodities would not spike due to the conflict in the Middle East.Krystle Jade Bato, DTI-Negros Oriental spokesperson, said that so far, major retailers, such as Prince Warehouse and Lee Super Plaza, have assured them that there has been no price movement in essential goods.Bato said that DTI provincial chief Juliet Banogon has ordered them to collect data from larger businesses in anticipation of a price hike in the coming weeks.“We agree that if fuel prices go up, the prices of basic necessities and prime commodities will likely follow, although this will not happen overnight,”...

The war in the Middle East will affect the Philippine economy.* Anadolu photo via PNANegros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) on Tuesday, March 3, urged the public to conserve fuel and energy, as Middle East tensions threaten global supply.Lacson, who also called for prayers, said he hopes that the conflict does not worsen following the attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran.While U.S. President Donald Trump estimates that the conflict with Iran could last up to five weeks, Lacson said “I am sure it will go beyond that.”The governor warned that fuel prices will definitely go up with Iran’s closing of the Strait of Hormuz, as suppliers would be forced to take longer, more costly routes.“We are ...

Ronnie Baldonado file photoThe National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) is asking President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to take immediate executive intervention to save the sugar industry from what it described as a "death sentence" caused by collapsing prices and market manipulation.NACUSIP National President Roland C. de la Cruz, in his letter to the president on Saturday, Feb. 28, cited the steep decline in sugar prices seen from late 2025 through early 2026, which has left farmers and mill workers unable to afford basic necessities.The labor federation is calling for the urgent establishment of a government sugar buying program to ensure fair farmgate prices, providing a vital safety net for producers and shielding them from unscrupulous tr...

The ongoing regional meet.*NIRAAM photoThe billeting schools of the 2026 Negros Island Regional Athletic Association Meet (NIRAAM) hosted by Bacolod City remain safe for occupancy despite a magnitude 4.8 earthquake on Monday night.The buildings in 16 schools underwent rapid damage assessment and needs analysis conducted by the City Engineer's Office (CEO).The list on Tuesday included Andres Bonifacio Elementary School I and II, Handumanan Elementary School I and II, Education and Training Center School I, II and III, Antonio L. Jayme Elementary School, Jose R. Torres Elementary School, Mariano G. Medalla Integrated School, Rizal Elementary School, and Rodolfo A. Medel Sr. Elementary School.Others are Bacolod City National High School, Bacolod SPED Center, Barangay Singcang-...

The technical team meets with Mayor Leo Rafael M. Cueva *Molocaboc Island in Sagay City has been identified as the pilot site for a proposed P8.5-million desalination project of the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI), in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) under the Department of Agriculture.The project, expected to be implemented within two years, will involve the construction of a desalination facility with a production area of around 300 to 500 square meters, marking the first pilot initiative of its kind in the country, a press release from Sagay City said Tuesday, March 3.A technical team composed of Riza Banicod, senior science research specialist, Gezelle Todifa and Cherie May Busalla, science research special...

Fuel prices will rise by up to PHP1.90 per liter on Tuesday, March 3, marking the eighth straight weekly increase, largely due to Middle East tensions.In an advisory Monday, Seaoil said gasoline prices will increase by PHP1.90/liter, diesel by PHP1.20/liter, and kerosene by PHP1.50/liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday.Citing global market trends, Michael Ricafort, chief economist of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, said crude oil prices at the New York Mercantile Exchange rose about 6.1 percent to USD71.08 per barrel in Monday trading, below the USD75.33 intraday high.The spike followed US and Israeli attacks on Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes.Ricafort said the developments weakened the US dollar, which opened at 57.85 from...

Efforts are underway to secure updated climate and disaster hazard maps for all local government units in the Third District of Negros Occidental to strengthen disaster preparedness and risk-informed planning.Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said Project Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (NOAH), the Philippines’ primary science-based hazard assessment program under the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, recently visited the district to discuss hazard mapping needs.Project NOAH generates high-resolution flood, landslide, and storm surge hazard maps and supports climate risk assessment, which helps local governments plan infrastructure, drainage, and flood control.Benitez said earlier mapping efforts did not include some area...

The House Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing on the sugar industry on Wednesday.* Mark Garcia photoNegros Occidental lawmakers assured that small sugarcane farmers will be included in future congressional hearings on the sugar industry following a House Committee on Agriculture and Food hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Quezon City.Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said small farmers, including association presidents and members of small planter groups, must be directly involved in the discussions.His office is prepared to subsidize the travel of small farmer representatives to ensure their participation in the hearings, Benitez said.Benitez added that the next hearing should include traders, importers, and industry partners to provide a complete p...