Business

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...

The Sugar Council has joined the call of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines - Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP) and allied labor organizations for the release of the minutes of the Sugar Board meetings.“We call on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to disclose the minutes of those meetings, particularly the minutes of the meeting which approved Sugar Order No. 8, Series of 2024-2025, authorizing the importation of 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar, which was signed prior to public consultation,” a press statement from the Sugar Council said on Tuesday, April 14.SO#8, Series of 2024-2025 was signed by all the members of the Sugar Board on June 28, 2025, but stakeholder consultation was only conducted nine days lat...

The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved on first reading a proposed ordinance seeking to elevate the city’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO) into a full-fledged department, Councilor Caesar Distrito, SP Committee on Human Resource chair, said Tuesday, April 14.The measure aims to transform PESO into the Public Employment Services Department (PESD), strengthening the City Government’s capacity to deliver responsive, inclusive, and technology-driven employment services to Bacolodnons, Distrito, who authored the proposed ordinance, said.Distrito said the proposed ordinance is anchored on national policies such as Republic Act No. 8759, as amended, which mandates the strengthening of PESOs, as well as Republic Act No. 7160, which empowers local government units to d...

Board Members Hadji Trojillo, Marxlen dela Cruz, Jeffrey Tubola and Nicholas Yulo, Vice Governor Jose Benito Alonso. Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, La Castellana Mayor Añejo Nicor and Vice Mayor Rhummyla Nicor Mangilimutan, and Charina Magallanes-Tan (l-r) ring the bell to signal the start of the Panaad sa Negros Festival.*Andrew Altarejos photoNegros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson officially opened the 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City Monday afternoon, calling the milestone a testament to the shared history and unity of Negrenses.The governor, who rang the bell to officially signal the start of the festival, said despite the unrest in the Middle East that has triggered a global surge in fuel prices, N...

The strike organizers at a press conference Monday.* Bayan Negros photoThe transportation strike in Bacolod City will push through despite the rollback in fuel prices, Rodolfo Gardoce, chairperson of the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center-Piston (UNDOC-Piston) said on Monday, April 13.He said the majority of the traditional jeepney groups are joining the strike from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday to call for a further rollback in fuel prices.They are trying to also convince the operators of the modern jeepneys to join their protest, Gardoce added.He reiterated that they are calling for the abolition of Value Added Tax (VAT) and excise taxes on petroleum products, and for the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law.Among the transport groups joining the strike ar...

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito on Monday, April 13, said he is consulting with sugar groups in Negros to discuss ways to further address the plight of the sugar industry.Ejercito, one of the authors of the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA), said he wants to listen to their inputs on amendments to further improve the law.He said it is frustrating that seven years after the passage of the law, the industry has not attained self-sufficiency. The senator said he wants to get feedback from industry stakeholders on why the funds granted under the SIDA are underutilized.He also noted that the industry’s problems have been exacerbated by the over-importation of sugar.Ejercito is scheduled to meet with the sugar industry groups in Negros on Tuesday, April 14.“Rest assured th...

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday said the upcoming rollback in fuel prices will provide much-needed relief to Filipinos, but stressed that government interventions will continue as the reduction remains insufficient.In a video message, Marcos announced that starting Tuesday, April 14, oil prices will see significant cuts.“Diesel prices will go down by more than PHP20. Gasoline will be reduced by PHP4.43 per liter, and kerosene by PHP8.50 per liter,” he said.The President noted that the rollback would ease the burden on drivers, commuters and households affected by high fuel costs.However, Marcos acknowledged that the price reduction alone will not fully address the impact of rising fuel costs.“This is still not enough,” he said.He assured the public that...

The Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed a proposed ordinance seeking to transform Bacolod City’s transport system through the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and e-mobility solutions on first reading, Councilor Caesar Distritio said Saturday, April 11.The proposed “Bacolod City Electric Vehicle and E-Mobility Promotion Ordinance of 2026”, authored by Distrito, aims to promote sustainable, inclusive, and cost-efficient transportation while addressing rising fuel costs and environmental concerns.“This measure is a forward-looking response to the challenges of rising fuel prices, urban pollution, and the need for a more sustainable and inclusive transport system,” Distrito said in a press release.By promoting e-mobility, we are investing not only in environmental protectio...