Business

A fiesta in Bacolod City*Andrew Altarejos file photoThe Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod has approved a resolution urging all barangays in the city to suspend, scale down, or defer fiesta celebrations and prioritize essential services in response to the ongoing global oil crisis.The measure, authored by authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, highlights the impact of escalating fuel prices brought about by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which continue to disrupt global oil supply and drive up the cost of living.The burden is especially felt by public utility drivers, minimum wage earners, and low-income families, Distrito said.“While fiestas are an important part of our culture, we must respond to the urgent realities faced by our people. This is a time to prior...

A total of 1,193 Public Utility Jeepney (PUJ) drivers in Bacolod City received rice assistance from the city government on Easter Sunday, April 5.For many drivers the rice subsidy comes at a time when their income has been stretched thin due to fuel price increases triggered by tensions in the Middle East, a press release from the Bacolod City Communications Office said.More fuel price increases are expected on Tuesday, April 7.The distribution effort was led by the city government’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO), which moved swiftly to ensure that assistance reached beneficiaries without delay.To make the process more accessible, the city deployed pick-up trucks to various PUJ terminals across Bacolod, allowing drivers to receive the rice directly at their re...

Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Iranian Ambassador to the Philippines Yousef Esmaeilzadeh and Energy Secretary Sharon Garin (from left) after a meeting on Wednesday.*Iran will allow the “safe, unhindered, and expeditious” passage of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources, and all Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, its top diplomat told the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday.The DFA, in a statement, said the assurance was made during a phone call between Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi. The DFA said the development is vital for the Philippines, as it will not only secure the safety of Filipino seafarers operating in the area but “also help ensure energy security for t...

The scenic Don Salvador Benedicto road.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe impact of rising fuel prices is beginning to weigh on local tourism, with fewer travelers expected to hit the road this Holy Week, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, March 31.The governor noted a visible decline in weekend traffic to Don Salvador Benedicto (DSB), a popular destination for road trippers.Definitely there are fewer vehicles, especially motorcycles, parked on the side of the road at coffee shops and areas frequented by local tourists on weekends, Lacson said.The surge in fuel costs is also hitting the maritime sector, and a drop in interisland sea travelers is likely, Frank Carbon, a consultant for Weesam Express, said.He said that fast craft fares are expected to rise further.A...

Personnel of the Northern Negros Natural Park conduct trail resource assessment and monitoring within the Tinagong Dagat on March 17.*The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has documented several notable fauna and flora species within Tinagong Dagat of the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP) based on the results of a recent assessment.In a report on Tuesday, the NNNP management said from that March 16 to 20, its personnel conducted a trail resource assessment and monitoring across the four official trails of Tinagong Dagat.They observed the presence of birds such as the endangered Visayan tarictic hornbill (Penelopides panini) and the Visayan bulbul (Hypsipetes guimarasensis).Among the recorded flora were the Tetrastigma spp., pointed-tooth slipper orchi...

Mayor Greg Gasataya (right) with Jack Ng, Head of Commercial at Shopee Philippines at the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday.*Bacolod City is collaborating with online shopping platform Shopee to empower local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and strengthen its digital economy.Mayor Greg Gasataya and Shopee Philippines head of commercial Jack Ng formalized the partnership with a ceremonial handshake held at the City Mayor’s Office on Monday, March 30.“Through this partnership, MSMEs in Bacolod City will be given more opportunities to present their products and improve their sales. Bacolod has always been a city that champions the spirit of local enterprise,” Gasataya said in his message.Bacolod is one of the stops of Shopee’s Tatak Pinoy MSME Roadshow, wh...

Mayor Marina "Mayette" Javellana-Yao* Bago City will be the next big growth hub in Negros Occidental, Mayor Marina "Mayette" Javellana-Yao said on Monday, May 30. There are a lot of investments coming into Bago City, including wind and hydro energy projects, the mayor pointed out during a meeting with the media. The mayor also said she has initiated numerous programs to bring the city government’s services closer to the people. Citing the importance of education, the mayor also said a big chunk of the 20 percent development fund of the city government will go to the Bago City College. The mayor bared plans to build a dormitory at the Bago City College for students from the upper barangays of Bago. The dorm, which is envisioned to house 150 students, will cost about P10 to P15 milli...

Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez will launch a pioneering Biodiesel Project to support local fisherfolk at the Community Center of Las Palmas Subdivision in Barangay Taculing, Bacolod City, at 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 30.“As fuel prices continue to rise, we need practical solutions that can help ease costs at the community level,” Benitez said. This will provide a more affordable fuel option for equipment such as pumpboats and generators, he said. The project is also a major step toward sustainable energy and community-driven environmental solutions, as it aims to transform waste into a direct resource for the city's coastal residents, Benitez said in a press statement.“By supporting our fisherfolk with su...

Rice farmers are expected to receive DA aid soon.*Ronnie Baldonado file photo  The Department of Agriculture is preparing to release financial assistance and fuel subsidies to farmers in the Negros Island Region soon to mitigate the spike in fuel prices, DA NIR Director Jose Albert Barrogo said Friday, March 27.Meanwhile, fuel prices are expected to post smaller increases next week as tensions in the Middle East show signs of easing, an industry official said Friday.Jetti Petroleum President Leo Bellas, in an advisory, said diesel prices are projected to increase by PHP11 to PHP12/liter, while gasoline prices are forecast to rise by up to PHP3/liter.This follows a sharp spike this week, when fuel prices surged by nearly PHP20/liter.Barrogo said ...