Business

The provincial government provided pest control chemicals to all Local Government Units (LGUs) in Negros Oriental  during a ceremonial turnover Monday.*Governor Chaco Sagarbarria FB page photoNegros Oriental Governor Manuel L. Sagarbarria has issued Executive Order No. 51, Series of 2026, establishing the Provincial RSSI Containment and Agricultural Recovery Task Force to address the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation affecting local sugarcane plantations. The order, signed on August 7 and released Monday,  comes in response to a state of calamity declared by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to protect the province's vital sugar industry and agricultural livelihoods. Sagarbarria serves as chairperson of the new body, supported by Sugar Regulatory Admini...

Governor and LPCC Chairman Manuel "Chaco" L. Sagarbarria*The Negros Oriental Provincial Price Coordinating Council (PPCC) has passed a resolution  recommending the suggested retail price (SRP) range for pork, live hogs, and piglets across the province to curb volatile market prices and protect both consumers and local hog raisers during the ongoing African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak.Under Resolution No. 1, Series of 2026, approved by Provincial Governor and PPCC Chairman Manuel "Chaco" L. Sagarbarria on August 6, temporary price ranges recommended are:Pork (Local and Imported): ₱240 to ₱290 per kilogramPiglets: ₱2,500 to ₱5,000 per headLive Hogs (Buying price, live weight): ₱150 to ₱180 per kilogramThe resolution was introduced following serious disruptions i...

The annual Bacolod Rum Festival will return on Saturday, Aug. 15, featuring flair bartending and mixology competitions, live entertainment, and an evening street party.The festivities will begin at the SM City Bacolod North Block with the Flair Bartending Competition from 10:30 a.m. to noon. It will be followed by the Bacolod Signature Cocktail Competition from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., where mixologists will showcase drink creations inspired by the region’s sugar heritage and local flavors.At 6 p.m., the event shifts to North Capitol Road for the free Rum Dance Street Party. The open-admission evening program will feature live band performances, DJ sets, street dancing, and zumba sessions.Organizers said that adults of legal drinking age will be able to sample select rum products f...

The at-all-you-can blue crabs feast in EB Magalona on Saturday, August 8.*Andrew Altarejos photoThe domestic price of blue swimming crabs has gone up, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development is providing aid to industry stakeholders affected by the United States  export ban on the product, E.B. Magalona Vice Mayor Marvin Malacon said Sunday, August 9.Malacon said the eat-all-you-can blue crabs event at the E.B. Magalona covered court during the first two Saturday nights in August has driven up demand, resulting in much-needed price increases."The results have been very positive," he said.The blue crabs price, which dropped to ₱150–₱180 a kilo following the US export ban, has increased to ₱200 and above per kilo, Malacon said.The DSWD also announced t...

Emergency Cash Transfer beneficiaries in Moises Padilla.*DSWD NIR photoThe Department of Social Welfare and Development  (DSWD) has  disbursed  ₱64,727,425.00 in Emergency Cash Transfer (ECT) assistance to 6,269 farmers and landowners in the Negros Island Region grappling with a widespread Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation as of Friday, the DSWD NIR reported on Sunday, August 9.Under the second wave of the ECT program alone, 5,246 affected agrarian workers and landowners received ₱54,164,950.00 to help mitigate livelihood losses caused by the agricultural pest.The RSSI outbreak has swept through 78,352 hectares of sugarcane plantations across NIR. Field assessments have confirmed damage covering 22,792.25 hectares, directly impacting 15,135 farmers, the DSWD NIR...

The Negros Occidental Provincial Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System Executive Committee approved the reprogramming of ₱6.9 million in funds to strengthen clean water access, scholarship offerings, and support services for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) across the province.Chaired by Governor Eugenio Jose  Lacson, the committee reallocated ₱5 million from the Provincial Health Office’s Advocacy on Zero Open Defecation Program to the Provincial Integrated Safe Water Program, managed under the Provincial Administrator’s Office.An additional ₱1.9 million in savings from the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program (NOSP) Division was realigned to bolster targeted social and educational initiatives. The original savings were drawn from the District Education Scholarship...

The seized counterfeit seasoning products.*PNP photoA 64-year-old Chinese national and a 32-year-old woman were arrested after authorities seized P470,400 worth of allegedly counterfeit seasoning products during an entrapment operation in Bacolod City.The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bacolod City Field Unit conducted the operation along the Economic Highway in Brgy. Mansilingan from about 3:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 5.The operation was conducted with the CIDG Regional Special Operations Team-Negros Island Region, Police Station 7 and representatives of Nestlé Philippines Inc.CIDG said the operation stemmed from a complaint by the company regarding the alleged widespread distribution and sale of counterfeit Maggi Magic Sarap products in Bacolod City....

A 45-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who escaped from an alleged  abusive employer in Saudi Arabia is receiving psychosocial intervention and medical care to restore her health, officials said Friday, August 7.The Cebu native, who is married to a resident of Barangay 8, Isabela, Negros Occidental, has three sons aged 11, 13, and 14.Negros Occidental Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Manager Karen Dinsay said the OFW suffered severe weight loss and trauma. She is currently in the care of Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) personnel at the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.Meanwhile, Isabela Mayor Miguel Angelo Yulo confirmed that the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is processing her exit visa, a process expected to take three to four weeks before sh...