Business

One of the pre-highlight activities of the Sinigayan Festival.*The Sinigayan Festival schedule has been moved from March 15-19 to March 16–20 to give prominence to the feast of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Sagay City, Mayor Leo Rafael “Bebo” Cueva said.Cueva explained that the adjustment allows the church to fully celebrate March 19, which is the feast day of St. Joseph, while the city government will hold the festival highlight on March 20, a press release from Sagay City said Friday, March 13.“A fiesta is really a celebration of the Catholic Church, so this year we are giving March 19 to the church for whatever celebrations they have for St. Joseph,” Cueva said.He added that the local government intends to continue this arrangement in the coming years so that the relig...

NEPC Vice President and COO Engr. Joe-mel Zaporteza.* Richard Caballero Jr. PhotoConsumers should brace for higher electricity bills starting next month amid rising fuel costs driven by ongoing tensions in the Middle East, a Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) official warned Thursday, March. 12.Engr. Christian John Villena, NEPC Corporate Energy Sourcing and Regulatory Affairs Manager, said electricity charges could jump by as much as ₱2 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) if petroleum prices remain elevated.Villena noted that the surge in fuel prices is a broader economic concern, predicting that 45 percent to 65 percent of basic commodities may also see price hikes in the coming weeks.For March consumers are already facing an increase of 30 to 35 centavos per kWh, he said....

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (left) and San Juan City Mayor Francis Javier Zamora sign their sisterhood agreement.*San Juan City Mayor Francis Javier Zamora signed sisterhood agreements between his city and the province of Negros Occidental — including its 31 towns and cities and Bacolod City — at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod on Thursday, March 12.“This partnership creates an avenue for our local governments to work together in areas such as governance, economic development, tourism promotion, cultural exchange, and people-to-people engagement,” Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.He thanked the San Juan City government, led by Zamora, for the gesture of friendship and cooperation.“Your openness to building partnerships beyond your city is a testa...

Mayor Manuel "Chiquiting" Sagarbarria*Mayor Manuel "Chiquiting" Sagarbarria is allocating ₱10 million in counterpart subsidies for public transportation drivers in Dumaguete City amid rising fuel prices.This was disclosed by Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Negros Island Region Director Gerry Llena on Thursday, March 12.Llena has been campaigning for local governments to allocate counterparts to the subsidies expected from the national government for the drivers.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson confirmed on Thursday that the provincial government will also allocate counterpart funds, but he would like to know first what the specific shares of the LTFRB and the town and city governments will be.Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr...

LTFRB Negros Island Region Director Gerry Llena* The Negros Occidental provincial government is stepping in to boost subsidies for public utility drivers. It will provide counterpart assistance to the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) fuel subsidy for public utility drivers affected by rising fuel prices triggered by the Middle East crisis, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Wednesday, March 11. “Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is okay with allocating a counterpart fund to help hold off fare increases and to aid the drivers,” Diaz said. LTFRB Negros Island Region Director Gerry Llena met with Diaz on Wednesday, March 11, to discuss the need for counterpart assistance for the drivers. Llena said that he does not know how much the LTFRB fuel assistanc...

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is heightening its alert on the possible increase in crimes against property as a result of rising fuel prices. “We are crafting action plans in case of domino effect. Looting, theft, and robbery cases might increase. The Philippine National Police is preparing for that," BCPO Director Col. Eugene Rebadomia said in a press conference on Wednesday. Rebadomia said the BCPO underwent an orientation with the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Trade and Industry to outline ways they can assist the concerned agencies in the regulation of fuel prices. During the press conference, Rebadomia shared that BCPO personnel called the attention of a certain gasoline station, which displayed the price of diesel at PHP108.50 per liter even before the schedule...

Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya presides over a meeting on the monitoring of gasoline stations.*The local government of Bacolod will form a monitoring team to oversee all gas stations, as fuel prices continue to rise. Following a scheduled meeting with the Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday, March 12, Mayor Greg Gasataya announced that monitoring activities will start immediately. The initiative is intended to address ongoing fuel price increases linked to the Middle East crisis and to ensure compliance with DOE guidelines on fair pricing, he said. “The PNP and LGU will monitor possible complaints and violations in the gas stations based on what the DOE allows for their price adjustment,” the mayor said. The monitoring will cover assessments of complaints and potential violations relat...

NIR mayors, governors, and congressmen are being urged to allocate counterpart fuel subsidies to further cushion the effect of rising fuel prices on the transport sector.* Levi Trio file photo National government fuel subsidies for public transportation drivers and farmers are expected to be released soon. In anticipation of the rollout, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Negros Island Region (LTFRB-NIR) Director Gerry Llena appealed to local government officials on Tuesday, March 10, to allocate counterpart funds to increase the assistance. He said that, so far, the LTFRB-NIR has not received any petition for a fare hike, and he is appealing to the transport sector to instead wait for the subsidies. The Bacolod Alliance for Commuters...

The sugar industry meet at the SRA office in Bacolod on Monday.* Sugar industry stakeholders in a rare show of unity on Monday gathered at the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) office in Bacolod City to come up with solutions to problems plaguing the industry. Aside from the urgent need to control the entry of artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes, the group reached a consensus to urge the national government to revisit and implement a modified version of the sugar-buying program from two years ago, SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona said on Tuesday, March 10. At that time, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had approved a ₱5 billion budget for the initiative following requests from Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and Azcona, allowing the government to purchase a specific p...