Business

Sugar leaders are upbeat about the industry in 2021 with better yield seen.Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Hermenegildo Serafica told DIGICAST NEGROS that based on the monitoring of the SRA research development and extension team, the standing canes are looking better than last year's crop.“Considering that we did not have major typhoons hitting the Visayas and Mindanao, we expect that we will be hitting our target this crop year, “ he said.Visayas accounts for about 70 percent of the country’s total sugar production and Mindanao accounts for more or less 20 percent, he said.“Once the rains minimize beginning this January, we also expect our LKG/TC to recover. LKG/TC is the amount of sugar produced per ton of cane,” Serafica said.The rain lowers the sugar content ...

OPA photoThe chair of the Mindanao Development Authority has again lauded Negros Occidental’s practice on inter-cropping of sugarcane and rice, that he said addresses the “age-old curse Tiempo Muerto.”Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol, former secretary of the Department of Agriculture, said the province has found an answer to “Tiempo Muerto (Dead Season),” which was coined to describe joblessness and hunger during the period between planting and harvesting of sugarcane.This is the period, which stretches for about five to six months, when hunger stalks the families of sugarcane workers, he said in a Facebook post.“Seeing a window of opportunity to grow rice alongside young sugarcane, the Provincial Agriculture Office of Negros Occidental and sugar farmer participants initiated the Sug...

City PIO file photoThe Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) is pushing for sustainable and cohesive economic recovery efforts in Western Visayas.MBCCI Chief Executive Officer Frank Carbon said local government units (LGUs) in the region should ensure that the active cases are put to a controllable level to allay public fears over infection.“They should prepare a ‘ready to go’ program to generate jobs and livelihood,” he said.These programs should readily catch the financial stimulus funds of the “Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2)” that support the recovery efforts of the business sector and LGUs, he added.The LGUs, he said, should further ensure that the basic needs of the populace are met and goods are at affordable price such as fish vege...

DTI-6 photoBacolod City and four other component cities in Negros Occidental were cited as among the most competitive local government units in Western Visayas.During the 4th Regional Competitiveness Council-6 Recognition Ceremony for Competitive LGUs, that was led by the Department of Trade and Industry-6, at the Zuri Hotel in Iloilo City today, December 29, a total of 46 awards were conferred to 29 localities, where some of them garnered more than one recognition.The cities and municipalities are ranked based on their overall competitiveness score measured through their economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency.Of the six provinces in the region, Aklan was hailed as the most competitive province.For economic dynamism, which was associate...

Local production of sugar in the country has dramatically increased by 30.86 percent in the first week of December compared to the same period in the previous year, the Sugar Regulatory Administration said.In the latest supply and demand situation report of SRA, from September 1 to December 6, the total production of raw sugar was 407,770 metric tons, or 8.155 million 50-kilo bags, compared to the same period in the previous year with 311,617 MT, or 6.232 million 50-kg bags.The demand for raw sugar has also increased by 18.62 percent, from 343,597 MT to 407,569 MT during the period, SRA said.However, the production of refined sugar fell by 33.76 percent at 73,293 MT from 110,654 MT in the previous year, SRA said.The production of molasses, meanwhile, increased by 32.06 perc...

PVO file photoThe Provincial African Swine Fever Task Force has intercepted P1.262 million worth of pork products in port terminals in Negros Occidental from December 14 to 20.Dr. Ryan Janoya, head of the Animal Health and Meat Inspection Services Division of the Negros Occidental Provincial Veterinary Office, said that the largest haul during the period was the pork belly and assorted meat products worth P1.232 million from Cebu.He said that the driver of the truck had no documents to show, so they shipped back the pork products to their point of origin.He said that pork products from Cebu or any area in the Visayas are allowed to enter the province since they remain free from the virus.Other pork products such as sausages, bacon, ham, chicharon, pork belly, siomai, du...

The business sector in Bacolod City is waiting for the local government to complete its economic recovery program.Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive officer, said today, December 22, that the city government has prepared an economic recovery program.“We hope the city could publish this program so the business sector could run their own recovery program in parallel to the city's, to achieve a high synergy results that will hasten the opening of businesses, reinvesting and to start rehiring,” Carbon said.The City Development Council could initiate this convergence project with the business community starting January next year, he said.The business sector earlier urged the local government to set up an economic recovery center to boost...

Mayor Evelio Leonardia has issued an executive order instructing all barangays in Bacolod City to participate in the 2021 Business One-Stop-Shop (BOSS).The BOSS which caters to the processing and renewal of business permits will be held at the Ayala Malls Capital Central from Jan. 4 to March 31, the mayor said in Executive Order No. 79, Series of 2020.All barangays through their respective barangay captains should set up their own offsite tables at the Ayala Capital Central for the duration of BOSS, he said.Each barangay should assign at least two personnel to man their offsite tables to process the issuance of barangay clearances, which are required for the processing of business permits, he said.The “no noon break” policy will also be observed by the barangay personnel fo...