Business

A truck carrying the cadavers  of the slain rebels out of Sitio Plaringding in   Barangay Salamanca on Monday.*XFM Bacolod  photo Nineteen alleged remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA), including a notorious rebel leader, were killed in a series of encounters with the 79th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, confirmed on Monday, April 20.The troops of the 79th IB, acting on a tip from residents, encountered the rebels in their temporary encampment at Sitio Sinugmawan, Barangay Salamanca, before dawn on Sunday, he said.As the rebels tried to escape following the initial gunbattle, which started at about 4 a.m., they we...

The Employees' Night at Capitol Park and Lagoon in Bacolod.*Cesar Cagape Jolito III photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is very happy with the results of the just concluded 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival that drew more than 100,000 visitors and generated sales of P29.4 million in seven days.Lacson against thanked the provincial government employees and festival executive director Charina Magallanes Tan for the success of the festival during the Employees' Night at Capitol Park and Lagoon on Monday, April 20.The appreciation night was held to recognize the collective efforts of the provincial workforce in mounting the massive celebration.Lacson said the festival gave Negrenses respite from the current economic crisis to gather and have fun.The...

The inflation rate in Negros Oriental significantly jumped in March compared to the previous month, largely driven by rising fuel costs and a shortage in local corn supply, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Monday, April 20.PSA-Negros Oriental chief statistical specialist Ariel Fortuito said the March inflation rate for all income households was pegged at 3.0 percent, a sharp increase from February’s 1.8 percent. The figure is also a stark contrast to the negative 0.7 percent recorded in March last year.“The main drivers of the acceleration are transport, which saw a 9.6 percent inflation rate and contributed 63.7 percent to the upward trend, followed by food and non-alcoholic beverages at 20.4 percent, and restaurants and accommodation services at 12.0 percent,” F...

Inflation rates for both all income and bottom 30 percent households in Negros Occidental decelerated in March, mainly due to the lower prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.Among all income households, headline inflation slowed at 0.0 percent in March, from 0.3 percent in February.Last month's inflation rate was also lower than the 2.8 percent posted in March 2025.In its report, PSA-Negros Occidental said a downtrend in inflation for all income households was primarily brought about by the lower year-on-year growth rate in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages index, which was at -3.1 percent in March, from 0.0 percent in February.For the bottom 30 percent income households, inflation decreased to -...

A Negrense recipient of the subsidy for sugarcane farmers.*DA-NIR photoThe first batch of the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fisherfolk (PAFF) Program has officially started in Negros Occidental, with the distribution of ₱13,578,000 to 5,840 sugarcane farmers, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official confirmed on Friday, April 17.Jose Albert Barrogo, DA Negros Island Region director, said the list of sugarcane farmer beneficiaries was provided by the Sugar Regulatory Administration and validated by the local government units.He said small sugarcane farmers from eight LGUs will receive ₱2,325 each in fuel subsidies for their operations.Aid to rice and corn farmers, and fisherfolk will follow, Barrogo said.The distribution schedule began on Thursday, April 16,...

The ceremonial launching of the  Fuel Subsidy Program of Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez Thursday morning.*  Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Thursday, April 16, that he is allocating about P2 million from his personal funds for the distribution of fuel subsidy cards to about 1,780 public utility jeepney drivers.The ceremonial launching of his Fuel Subsidy Program was held at his office in Bacolod City Thursday morning.Each driver will receive fuel subsidy cards worth P1,000 that will enable them to redeem fuel at designated gasoline stations in their routes, he saidBenitez said he decided to allocate his personal funds to help the drivers while they are waiting for government subsidy to kick in ...

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito (seated, second from left) with sugar industry leaders on Tuesday.*Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito filed Senate Resolution No. 369 on Wednesday, April 15, calling for an urgent inquiry into the alleged over-importation of sugar and its detrimental impact on the Philippine agricultural sector.The resolution asks the Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform to investigate the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) management of import timings, which stakeholders claim has led to a massive domestic oversupply.The resolution said raw sugar stocks as of March 2026 have climbed to 668,405 metric tons—a significant jump of nearly 100,000 metric tons compared to the previous year—while refined sugar stocks have surged by 38.77 percent.Th...

In a significant effort to stabilize the Philippine sugar industry and restore soil productivity, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) officially turned over ₱27 million worth of farm mechanization machineries and equipment to several sugarcane groups, recently.SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said that "mechanization is no longer a luxury but a necessity for survival in the current sugarcane economy."The grant turnover, held at the La Granja Agricultural Research and Extension Center (LGAREC) compound, is a core component of the SRA’s Soil Rejuvenation Program which seeks to address declining soil health and rising production costs by providing farmers with the logistical power to implement sustainable farming practices through maximization and utilization of sugar mill wa...

Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez*Deputy House Speaker and Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez will lead the distribution of fuel subsidy cards to 1,780 jeepney drivers worth a total of P1.7 million in Bacolod City on Thursday morning, April 16.Each driver will receive ₱1,000 worth of fuel subsidy, funded entirely from the personal funds of Benitez as part of his direct assistance to drivers affected by rising fuel costs.“At a time when the price of crude oil is rising, we will not abandon our drivers who serve our community every day,” Benitez said.The distribution is expected to benefit drivers from various transport groups across the city, many of whom continue to face financial strain due to fluctuating fuel prices, his...