Business

Highly destructive RSSI hits 4,847 ha. of sugarcane in Visayas, enters accelerated  phase: SRABY CARLA P. GOMEZThe Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation has entered an accelerated phase across the Visayas, with affected areas having more than doubled to 4,847.63 hectares in six days, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported on Thursday, June 18.The RSSI has affected 2,587 farmers in 244 barangays across the Visayas as of June 11, the report said.Substantial increases were observed in southern Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Iloilo, the SRA said.It cited the emergence of new hotspots such as Mabinay in Negros Oriental, and Himamaylan and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental, as well as the first recorded case in Leyte.Agriculture Secretar...

Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.* DA photoThe Department of Agriculture is stepping up its battle against the destructive red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), ordering the mass production of a naturally occurring fungus that can suppress the pest before it inflicts more serious damage on the country’s sugar industry.Speaking at the 40th anniversary celebration of the Sugar Regulatory Administration on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. directed the agency to accelerate the production of biological control agents and pledged additional funding to contain the outbreak, a DA press release said.“I told SRA to address the RSSI infestation head on. We have the technology and the ...

Blue crabs in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental.* Ronnie Baldonado photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, June 16, that he is aiming to meet with the blue crab industry stakeholders by the end of this month or early July to discuss the United States ban on their products.Lacson said he is waiting for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to prepare the protocols, which could help convince the United States to reopen its market to Philippine blue crabs.“I will know by then if we are addressing it properly,” said Lacson, who has asked BFAR for a report on the required protocols.It is also vital that the stakeholders attend the meeting, Lacson added.A Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution passed last week clarified that the restriction w...

A total of 61 out of 66 local government units (LGUs) in the Negros Island Region passed the 2025 Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) Assessment, yielding a 92.42 percent regional passing rate, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced Tuesday, June 16.The passers include the provinces of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and  Siquijor, the highly urbanized city of Bacolod, 16 component cities, and 41 municipalities, reflecting the region’s steadfast commitment to sound financial management and good governance, the DILG NIR  said.The DILG  said 13 cities in Negros Occidental and 4 cities in Negros Oriental were among the passers.The recognized cities include Bacolod, Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, La Carlota, Sagay, San Carlos, Si...

The job fair in Bacolod City* DOLE NIR photoA total of 101 applicants were hired on the spot during the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Trabaho Agad Job Fairs in the Negros Island Region on Independence Day, Friday, June 12.Of those hired, 44 were from Negros Oriental and 57 were from Negros Occidental, DOLE announced on Monday.The fairs served as platforms for job seekers— particularly fresh graduates, first-time applicants, and individuals seeking better career moves - to connect directly with employers and access jobs, the DOLE said.The job fairs were conducted simultaneously at Robinsons Place Dumaguete for job seekers in Negros Oriental, and at SM City Bacolod for those in Negros Occidental.In Negros Oriental, 10 participating employers offered  800 ...

The livelihoods of fishermen, like this one in EB Magalona, will be affected by the ban.*Ronnie Baldonado file photoThe Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (PhilExport) Negros Chapter  on Friday, June 12, said the decision by U.S. authorities to suspend the importation of Philippine crabmeat products threatens the livelihood of thousands of workers and fishing communities across the country, including those in Negros Occidental.PhilExport Negros Chapter, in a statement, called for immediate engagement between Philippine and U.S. authorities to clarify and resolve the issues that led to the suspension.Effective June 11, the United States National Marine Fisheries Service, pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, closed the U.S. market to Philippine blue swimming cr...

Some of the beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment-Special Program for Employment of Students from Silay City, Negros Occidental.*PNA/Nanette L. Guadalquiver photoA total of 181 college students from three local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental received a total of PHP847,248 in salary share from the Department of Labor and Employment-Special Program for Employment of Students (DOLE-SPES) on Friday, June 12.The payout of wages was held during the opening activity of the 2026 Trabaho Agad Job Fair in celebration of the 128th Philippine Independence Day at SM City Bacolod.In her message, DOLE-Negros Occidental Officer-in-Charge Gretchen Pasiolan said the release of the agency's share for the SPES wages is part of its continuing commitment to employment...

Crab meat pickers in Barangay Tomongtong, EB Magalaona.* Ronnie Baldonado file photoThe Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Negros Occidental has issued an urgent call for national government intervention following the closure of the United States market to Philippine blue swimming crab products, Board Member Hope Marey Depasucat  said Thursday, June 11.The provincial board in  a resolution, authored by Depasucat, expressed "deep concern" over the immediate economic fallout threatening thousands of local fishers, crab meat pickers, and processing plant workers.The market closure, enforced by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service under its Marine Mammal Protection Act, took effect on Thursday, June 11.The SP resolution said  the restriction was not imposed ...