Business

Ten-hour work days at the Capitol are being eyed.* Ronnie Baldonado photoGovernor Eugenio Jose Lacson has approved the implementation of a four-day work week for the Negros Occidental provincial government.The move is intended to help mitigate the impact of expected hikes in fuel prices driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Friday, March 6.The specific details and the official start date for this new schedule are currently being finalized, Diaz said.The transition could result in 10-hour work days for employees, Diaz said..This local initiative aligns with a broader national directive.President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ordered the temporary implementation of a four-day work week for select government offices...

Bullets found at the crime scene*A 27-year-old man was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while attending to his poultry outside his home in Sitio Cagayon, Brgy. Paitan, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday morning, March 5.Police said the victim, a laborer and resident of the area, was outside his residence at around 6 a.m. when five unidentified men suddenly approached and shot him.Investigators said the victim sustained three gunshot wounds to the head, causing his instantaneous death.The suspects immediately fled toward the mountainous area of Brgy. Malasibog, the police said.Police recovered two fired cartridge cases of a .45 caliber firearm at the crime scene.*

Confed is calling for a “‘Purchase-and-Park’ Sugar Buying Program”.* Ronnie Baldonado file photoThe Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (CONFED) has issued an urgent appeal to the Department of Agriculture, calling for immediate government intervention to shield the local sugar industry from the "crushing economic impact" of the Middle East conflict.In a  letter dated Thursday, March 5, addressed to Agriculture Secretary and Sugar Board Chairman Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., CONFED President Aurelio Gerardo J. Valderrama Jr. said fuel and fertilizer prices are already rising as a result of the current  conflict in the Middle East between the   US, Israel and Iran.The letter was received by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA)on Friday.“If not controlled, ...

The petitioners' supporters in front of the Supreme Court on Thursday.* NUPL photoThree development workers from Negros Occidental and their legal counsel elevated their plea for safety to the Supreme Court on Thursday, March 5, amid alleged threats, harassment, and intimidation by state agents.The petitioners also alleged that they are victims of a systemic pattern of "red-tagging" and surveillance.Lawyer Rey A. Gorgonio, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) Negros chairperson, and three members of the Paghida-et sa Kauswagan Development Group (PDG) are seeking a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) against top military and police officials, alongside the issuance of Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data.The petitioners, including Joselito B. Macapobre, Analyn Mirano, and Ma. A...

SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona (center) with CONFED President Aurelio Valderrama, Jr. (left), and NACUSIP President Roland de la Cruz  at the House of Representatives  on Wednesday.* The Sugar Board will endorse a government sugar buying program and issue an order to regulate the entry of artificial sugar, Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona confirmed on Wednesday, March 4.    The moves are geared towards addressing the low millgate sugar prices that dropped further last week after a Congressional hearing held to address the concerns of the industry.  Prices dropped by P150 to 250 per 50 LKg bag, and no bidders were reported in some mills last week.   On the sidelines of a meeting at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Azc...

“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...