Business

The inflation rate for all income households in Bacolod City declined to 11.2 percent in February this year compared to 12.1 percent in January, the latest report of the Philippines Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.Based on the summary inflation report and consumer price index dated March 8, it is still much higher than the 3.5 percent in February 2022.Nelida Amolar, chief statistical specialist and officer-in-charge of PSA Negros Occidental province, said last month’s decline could be attributed to a slight decrease in the indices of some commodities.These include food and non-alcoholic beverages from 10.3 percent in January to 10 percent in February; alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 16.4 percent to 13.5 percent; clothing and footwear, 2.9 percent to 2.8 percent; and housing,...

The Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees officially approved the postponement of the agency’s contribution hike in 2023, citing the continuing recovery of both workers and business owners from the pandemic, its top officials announced Monday (06 March).Secretary Jose Rizalino L. Acuzar, who heads the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the 11-member Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said that they unanimously approved the recommendation of the Pag-IBIG Fund Management to defer the hike in the monthly contributions of its members in 2023 – affirming pronouncements made by the agency earlier this year – and move the implementation by one year to January 2024.The deferment also applies to the share of their employers, a press release from Pag-IBIG said Friday, March 10...

Senator Imee Marcos, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Kristine Evangelista and Sugar Board Member Paul Azcona (l-r) at a press conference at the Yanson private beach resort in Talisay City on Thursday.*Sugar Board Member Paul Azcona said of the 440,000 metric tons of refined sugar allowed to be imported only about 38,000 MT has entered the country, which has been classified as “C” or reserve.As the farmers’ representative on the Sugar Board he is trying his best to ensure that there is no flood of imported sugar into the domestic market, said Azcona, who joined Senator Imee Marcos at a press conference in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday.However, if sugar retail prices do not drop they may have to release some of the “C” sugar into the market, he said.He said the...

The Negros Oriental provincial government has imposed a total ban on pigs, pork, and byproducts from nearby Cebu province following the first reported African swine fever (ASF) case in Carcar City.The total ban will be in effect for the next 45 days based on an executive order issued on March 3, Ophelia Felisilda, chief operations officer of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO), told the Philippine News Agency on Thursday.“(The late) Governor Degamo signed and issued the executive order on the total ban even before the news of the ASF cases in Carcar City came out, to prevent the swine industry in Negros Oriental from being affected by the animal disease,” she said.Negros Occidental and Bacolod City also issued a similar ban on Tuesday, March 7, on the entry of pigs and pork ...

Fuel prices are expected to increase Tuesday, March 7.Diesel prices will increase by P1.30 to P1.50 per liter, and gasoline by P0.10 to P0.30 per liter from March 7 to 13, Unioil Petroleum Philippines said Saturday.The Department of Energy said oil companies have implemented a year-to-date rollback for diesel and kerosene at P2.40 and P2.30 per liter, respectively, as of February 28.Gasoline has had a net increase of P5.30 per liter since the start of the year, the DOE added.*

Bacolod City is adopting QR PH Digital Payments for all business establishments and local transportation in line with the Paleng-QR PH Program as stipulated in City Ordinance No. 1019.The Department of the Interior and Local Government and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2022 on the Paleng-QR, which established guidelines enjoining Local Government Units’ (LGUs) participation in the Paleng-QR Ph Program on June 22, 2022.The BSP informed the Bacolod government that the city has been included in their priority list to launch the program in the middle of February this year.Transitioning to the digitalization of payments proves to be effective in facilitating the continuation of business and government transactions amid mobility ...

Elon Musk's promise of better internet connectivity in the Philippines has finally become a reality with the launch of Starlink, a satellite-based internet service by SpaceX.The service is now live in the country, including in Negros Island, according to a tweet by SpaceX.Starlink offers game-changing technology in the field of internet connectivity, especially in areas where fiber internet service is unavailable due to infrastructure limitations.Its official website, https://www.starlink.com/map, is now accepting orders from interested subscribers in Negros Island, with a single kit costing Php 29,320. This includes a WiFi router, cables, and a base.The monthly service fee is Php 2,700, according to its website, which is almost similar to the cost of a regular fiber connec...