Business

May62021 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

VMC 102 years later: Adapting to change, moving forward

There has never been a more challenging period in Victorias Milling Co. than during this COVID-19 pandemic.Thus, adapting to great changes in doing business has been their mantra, as they faced head-on the pandemic with measures that kept their employees and partners moving forward and ready to celebrate their 102nd anniversary.“It is important to note how VMC was able to surmount all the challenges it has faced since 1919 when it was established. Given this track record, I am confident that our company will continue to thrive as it engages in a global campaign to address the problems that the entire world is facing right now,” VMC Chairman Wilson Young said.Thus, despite the difficulties brought about by the pandemic, VMC still posted a positive growth and this, Young said, wa...

May42021 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

EO on imported pork to ‘kill industry’

Business, Top Stories

PVO photoNegros Occidental Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said Tuesday, May 4, Executive Order No. 128, that cuts tariffs and increases the volume of imported pork, will kill the hog industry.Under EO 128, the tariff on imported pork was reduced to 5 to 10 percent from 20 to 30 percent in the first three months of its implementation and 10 percent in the fourth to 12th month, while the total volume of pork to be imported was increased to 350,000 metric tons from 54,000.Decena said the prices of pork have drastically dropped in Manila after the order was implemented in March, from P440 per kilo to P270/k.It also initially brought down the prices of liveweight in the province at that time, from P150 per kilo to P120/k, he added.Currently, prices of liveweight in t...

May22021 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Ilog avails quality poultry breeder stocks

Business

PVO photosThe municipality of Ilog, being one of the active and supportive agency in the livestock development program of Negros Occidental, has received, through its Municipal Agriculture Office, 97 heads of genetically improved free-range chicken (FRC) breeder stocks from the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO).The dispersal of quality genetics of FRC extended by the Provincial Government through the PVO to various LGUs and farmer associations is also a part of COVID measures in easing economic recovery among Negrense families by increasing their income through egg and meat production which will ensure food security and poverty reduction.Engaging in free-range chicken (FRC) production has become an alternative source of daily income among Negrense as it does not require big fi...

Apr302021 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

WV posts biggest growth in agricultural production

Business, Top Stories

Western Visayas (WV) posted the biggest annual growth in agricultural production among the 17 regions in the country in 2020, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Wednesday, April 28.WV is composed of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental.Based on the PSA data, the region recorded the highest agricultural production at 4.7 percent, followed by CARAGA at 3.6 percent, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 2.2 percent, and Central Visayas at 1.4 percent.Higher agricultural productions were also noted in Ilocos Region at 1.0 percent, SOCCSKSARGEN at 0.8 percent, Northern Mindanao at 0.4 percent, and Eastern Visayas at 0.1 percent, the PSA said.On the other hand, CALABARZON registered the highest decline in agricultu...

Apr282021 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Ceneco rates down in April

Business

The Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. announced Wednesday, April 28, that its residential rates this April dropped by 37 centavos.Ceneco acting general manager Danny Pondevilla said the rate for this billing month was at P11.1353 per kilowatt hour from P11.5038/kWh in March, posting a decrease of P0.3685/kWh.The P0.3685/kWh rate decrease can be attributed to the reduction in generation, transmission, system loss charges and other pass-through charges such as the Generation Rate Adjustment Mechanism (GRAM), Incremental Currency Exchange Rate Adjustment (ICERA) and value-added tax, he said.He said the pass-through charges equivalent to P9.9487/kWh of the total power rate include the generation and transmission charges, Energy Regulatory Commission-approved adjustments, gov...

Apr242021 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

Wage board expected to tackle proposed pandemic relief allowance

Business

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Western Visayas is expected to tackle the proposed Pandemic Emergency Relief Allowance (PERA) for workers in their next meeting in May.In the regular meeting of the Board on Friday, April 23, they passed a unanimous resolution for the Board to take action on wage determination by motu proprio, Wennie Sancho, secretary-general of the General Alliance of Workers Associations and RTWPB labor representative, said.Two management representatives to the Board manifested their disapproval of the proposed P20 to P25 per day pandemic emergency relief allowance as an immediate economic relief amid the pandemic in their April 8 meeting.The proposal was submitted by the labor leaders in October 2020, and was referred to the Nat...

Apr152021 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

Lacson, PCIC sign MOA for crop insurance program

Business

Capitol photoNegros Occidental Gov. Bong Lacson and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) president, Atty. Jovy Bernabe signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the additional fund transfer of P19,239,880 by the province to the PCIC for the implementation of the crop insurance project for crop year 2021 onward.The MOA signing was held at the Governor’s Office, Provincial Capitol, earlier today, and witnessed by PCIC VI Regional Manager Eva Ulie Laud and Negros Occidental Provincial Agriculturist Atty. Japhet Masculino.Masculino said that it is a big help to farmers in mitigating the harmful effects of climate change and other natural calamities such as typhoons, floods, drought, earthquake and volcanic eruption, as well as plant diseases and pest infestations.The Negros ...

Apr112021 by Digicast NegrosNo Comments

‘Ensure domestic sugar supply’ – Zubiri

Business, Top Stories

Ronnie Baldonado photoSenator Juan Miguel Zubiri called on the Sugar Regulatory Administration to make sure that the country has enough domestic sugar supply to tide us over until the next crop year.Zubiri, in a press release, said he was “thankful” that the SRA finally saw the need to terminate the “A” sugar allocation as figures from the ground show that the targeted sugar production may not be met for this crop year.In fact, Zubiri said that he has been “harping on the A sugar issue for the last two years. I am not against it, but I have been stressing that before the A sugar program will even be considered, we must be cognizant of local supply.”The senator said this already happened a couple of years ago when he called for SRA to release the A sugar allocation to food p...

Apr92021 by Carla P. GomezNo Comments

Yulo looking into UNIFED request for conversion of ‘A’ quedans to ‘B’

Business, Top Stories

Ronnie Baldonado photoA member of the Sugar Board is checking on the request of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) for the conversion of all quedans for unshipped “A” sugar to the US market to “B” for the domestic market.“I will check if such a request has been officially been sent and received” so it can be acted on, Sugar Board Member Emilio “Dino” Yulo said Thursday, March 8.“UNIFED would like to manifest that in the event that there will be unshipped ‘A’ to the US, then we are requesting SRA to convert all ‘A’ unshipped quedans to ‘B’ with differentials to be given back to the planters,” UNIFED president Manuel Lamata said.The Board in Sugar Order 1-A issued March 29 scrapped the classification of 7 percent of the country’s sugar as “A” fo...

Apr82021 by Marchel P. EspinaNo Comments

Labor dismayed after management rejects pandemic relief allowance

Business

The secretary-general of the General Alliance of Workers Associations expressed labor’s dismay after business establishments in Western Visayas rejected their proposed P25-30 per day Pandemic Emergency Relief Allowance for workers.During the meeting with the Regional Wage Board Wednesday, April 7, Eduardo Estrella and Reynaldo Ambao, who represent management in the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Region 6, manifested their opposition on the proposal of the labor sector.Wennie Sancho, GAWA secretary-general and labor representative to the RTWPB-6, said the management representatives claimed “it is not the time to extend additional allowance because the employers are also suffering from the economic recession, business closures and can hardly keep their busin...