Business

Oct132026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

NOCCI backs DBM-DEPDev guidelines to drive regional priorities in 2028 national budget

NOCCI president Edward Du*The Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce and Industry welcomes the issuance of Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2026, by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), NOCCI president Edward Du said Tuesday, Oct. 13.The circular, titled “Procedural Guidelines on Strengthening Participatory Governance and Regional Development Council Engagement in the Early Preparation of Agency Budget Proposals for FY 2028,” was issued on Oct. 8, 2026,A NOCCI press release said.The new guidelines seek to strengthen the role of Regional Development Councils (RDCs) in the early preparation of national government agencies' budget proposals, beginning with Fiscal Year 2028, it said. The pol...

Oct132026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Lacson proposes ₱8.52-B NegOcc budget for 2027, up 11.8%

Business, Top Stories

Members of the SP receiving a copy of the proposed 2027 budget*SP photoA proposed P8.52 billion Negros Occidental provincial government budget for 2027, an increase of P900.09 million or 11.81 percent from the 2026 budget, has been submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for deliberation.The increase is geared towards strengthening the delivery of essential public services and advance priority programs in health, agriculture, infrastructure, economic development, education, and human development under its Abanse Negrense Priority Development Agenda, the provincial government announced on its Facebook page on Tuesday, Oct. 13.The proposed annual budget was submitted by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, through OIC Budget Officer Gemma Flores, to th...

Oct122026 by Romeo SubaldoNo Comments

Last few orders left for GCash shares starting at ₱660 (₱6.60 per share)!

Business

Users can still place orders on the platform and wait until after the offer period to find outtheir allocation status. Maximum of 1,500 shares per user, subject to final allocation, offered by AB Capital Securities. Oversubscribed orders are not guaranteed, with any remaining funds returned to the user.Last few orders left for GCash shares starting at ₱660 (₱6.60 per share)!THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED FOR PHILIPPINE RESIDENTS ONLY AND NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES.This communication is for general information only, and does not constitute investment, legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advice; nor does it constitute a prospectus, or offering document or form a part of any offer, or invitation or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securitie...

Oct82026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Sugar order classifies 100 percent of country’s sugar for domestic market: SRA

Business, Community, Top Stories

The Sugar Board has approved Sugar Order No. 1 classifying 100 percent of the country’s sugar production for Crop Year 2026-2027 as “B" or Domestic Market Sugar.*/Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) announced Thursday, Oct. 8, that the Sugar Board has approved Sugar Order No. 1 classifying 100 percent of the country’s sugar production for Crop Year 2026-2027 as “B" or Domestic Market Sugar.SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona in an advisory informed all sugar industry stakeholders that the allocation was in accordance with a consensus reached during a stakeholders consultative meeting in Makati City on October 2.Accordingly, all sugar mills, planters, traders, and other concerned parties are hereby advised and directed to ensure that all l...

Oct82026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Globe reports 1,245 cable theft cases, seeks stronger action to protect telecom networks

Business, Community, Press Release, Top Stories

Globe Telecom and its tower company partners recorded 1,245 cases of cable and telecommunications equipment theft as of September 2026, prompting the company to call for stronger government and community action against infrastructure pilferage.In a press release, Globe said the incidents have caused service outages nationwide and disrupted mobile and data connectivity used for work, education, business, emergency communications and other digital services.The company warned that repeated theft also affects investments intended to improve network coverage, quality and resilience.Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo said the issue has gone beyond stolen equipment because damage to telecommunications facilities can cut off communities from essential services.“When critical tel...

Oct82026 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Sugar federations welcome Coca-Cola’s commitment to use Negros sugar

Business

Ronnie baldonado file photoThe Sugar Council said it welcomes the assurance by Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP) to use Negros produced sugar but is calling for an expansion of its commitment.“We welcome Coca-Cola’s commitment to use 100 percent locally produced premium refined sugarin Negros, but we appeal to CCEAP to expand that commitment to Filipino sugar sourcedthroughout the country,” the group said in a statement Wednesday, Oct. 7The Council, composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (CONFED),the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), and the Panay Federation of SugarcaneFarmers (PANAYFED), was reacting to a CCEAP press statement on October 5.“In fact, this explicitly reinforces the core argument we raised in our Septemb...

Oct72026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

NPA claims responsibility for Escalante attack that killed CAFGU member, wounded 2 soldiers

Business, Police, Top Stories

The New People's Army has claimed responsibility for the Sept. 29 attack on government troops in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, that left one Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member dead and two soldiers wounded.In a statement on Oct. 7, Ka Cecil Estrella, spokesperson of the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-NPA Northern Negros Guerrilla Front, said its members carried out what it described as a harassment operation against personnel of the Army's 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) and CAFGU in Sitio Bautista, Brgy. Malasibog, at around 3 p.m.The NPA claimed its fighters opened fire on government troops conducting a patrol in the area, resulting in one fatality and two injuries on the government side.Estrella said the exchange of gunfire lasted about three minutes and ...

Oct62026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

NONECO, NOCECO raise September power rates while Negros Power posts slight cut

Business, Community, Top Stories

The varying movements came as distribution utilities in the Visayas dealt with higher Wholesale Electricity Spot Market costs following tight power supply conditions, generating plant outages and transmission constraints in August.*/ Ronnie Baldonado photoElectricity consumers in northern and southern Negros Occidental are paying higher residential rates for September, while customers of Negros Power in Bacolod and parts of central Negros saw a slight decrease, based on advisories issued by the province’s three distribution utilities.The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative recorded the highest September residential rate at P17.1454 per kilowatt-hour, up by P1.4054/kWh from P15.7400 in August.The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative increased its residential rate to P16.0080/...

Oct62026 by Mark L. GarciaNo Comments

Negros Island inflation quickens to 6.9 percent in September, still below national rate

Business, Top Stories

For consumers, a 6.9 percent inflation rate does not mean that all goods and services became exactly 6.9 percent more expensive in one month.*/Ronnie Baldonado photoInflation in the Negros Island Region accelerated to 6.9 percent in September 2026 from 5.8 percent in August, meaning consumer prices in the region were, on average, 6.9 percent higher than they were in September last year.Despite the increase, NIR’s inflation remained below the 7.2 percent national rate and was the lowest among the four Visayas regions, based on data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority on Tuesday, Oct. 6.Western Visayas posted the highest inflation among the Visayas regions at 9.2 percent, followed by Central Visayas at 8.3 percent and Eastern Visayas at 8.2 percent.The national in...

Oct62026 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

GCash parent opens IPO at P660 minimum for interested Negros investors

Business, Community, Top Stories

Residents of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental interested in owning shares in the company behind GCash can apply for a minimum of 100 shares worth P660 through the app starting Tuesday, Oct. 6.Mynt Inc., the parent company of the group behind GCash, has set its initial public offering (IPO) price at P6.60 per share. The offer runs until Oct. 12, the company said.An IPO allows the public to buy shares in a company before these begin trading on the stock exchange. Buying shares gives an investor a small ownership stake in the business.The Mynt offering is accessible through GStocks PH within GCash, powered by AB Capital Securities Inc.For orders placed on Oct. 6 and 7, the first 100 shares will be allocated in real time while shares last, according to the company.&n...