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Sugar millgate prices at Negros Occidental mills remained below P3,000 per Lkg on Thursday, September 28, for the third straight week since the start of the milling season.Sugar farmers who asked not to be identified are asking what happened to government’s promise to keep the prices at P3,000 per Lkg and if too much imported sugar in the market is driving prices down.The millgate prices per Lkg this week at Hawaiian Philippine Co. in Silay City was P2,901, First Farmers Holding Corp. in Talisay City – P2,833, Victorias Milling Co . in Victorias City – P2,718, Universal Robina Corp. (URC) La Carlota in La Carlota City - P2,717 Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Co. in Binalbagan - P2,715, Southern Negros Development Corp. in Kabankalan City - P2,710 and Lopez Sugar Central in Sagay City – P2...

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro buying products made by former rebels at a Association of Negros Producers-Provincial Peace and Order Council booth at the NTF.*Richard Malihan photoSales at the 37th Negros Trade Fair (NTF) at the Glorietta 2 Ayala Center in Makati City hit P16,262,725.69, NTF vice chairperson MaryAnn Feria Colmenares said Thursday, September 28.NTF sales on Wednesday hit P8,966,018.75 and on Tuesday it was P7,296,706.95, she said.It is an increase of P1.9 million compared to the first two days of the 2022 NTF, which was at P14 million, Colmenares said.Food, furniture and furnishings, and the local government unit booths are doing well, she said.“Everyone have increased sales”, she said.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said “people are ex...

The official sashing ceremony and press presentation of the 15 candidates for this year’s Miss Bacolod MassKara will be held at the Atrium of SM City Bacolod 5 p.m. Sunday, October 1.The 15 candidates are Georgette Ysabelle Millan, Therese Pira-an, Tracy Mae Sunio, Marianel Tan, Geralyn Joy Basto, Allona Nejar, Jada Biaxyl Celeste, Janine Cabrillos, Cailah Jhane Delarma, Elli Rose Elola, Rose Mariel Sansing, Kyle Santillan, Ma. Ericka Panganiban, Crizwin Claire Española, and Yvonne Catamco.The final candidates were selected from a rigorous screening process after which the chosen ladies were invited to attend a 3-day beauty boot-camp that will help them prepare for their pageant journey and were each given P80,000 as subsidy, a press release from the Bacol...

The two drivers detained at the Bago City Police Station*Nico Delfin photoQualified theft charges were filed against four suspects in the P3 million sugar heist before the Bago City Prosecutor’s Office Wednesday afternoon, September 27, PLt. Col. Jay Malong, Bago police chief, said.The qualified theft charges were filed by the owner of the sugar against two wing van drivers and their two cohorts, one of whom is believed to be the mastermind, Malong said.The owner of the wing vans is also filing separate charges for qualified theft and carnapping against the four on Thursday, the police chief added.The charges were filed against Jhujiet Arsenio of Pototan, Iloilo, and John Michael Oryen of Cadiz City, the drivers of the two wing vans containing 1,000 bags of sugar valued at ...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (fourth from left) with Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, Board Member Pal Guanzon, Michael Claparols, Arlene Infante and Board Member Jeffrey Tubola (l-r) cut the ribbon to officially open the 37th Negros Trade Fair in Makati City.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe 37th Negros Trade Fair (NTF) opening sales hit P7.2 million at the Glorietta 2 Ayala Center in Makati City Tuesday evening, Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, September 27.Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is praying for consistent daily sales performance until Sunday, October 1, the last day of the fair, Diaz said.On sale at the NTF are fashion items, furniture, gifts and housewares, food, organic and natural products, and tourism.Lacso...

The Art Association of Bacolod-Negros (AABN) with the Balik Yuhum Foundation will mount its 2nd On-The-Spot MassKara Painting Competition in celebration of art and creativity during the MassKara Festival 2023 in October.They are calling on all artists who are bonafide Bacolod residents to join in and preferably to be endorsed by their barangays, AABN president Ihvonie “Tey” Sevilleno said in a press release on Wednesday, September 27.The painting competition will held at Robinsons Place Bacolod from 2 to 6 p.m. on October 8.This on-site art event will be for Bacolod artists screened by the art association beforehand. The official contestants will be painting on blank masks instead of the usual canvas or paper, Sevilleno said.“We are continuing this competition as part of th...

The Northern Negros Electric Cooperative announced a P0.05 per kilowatt-hour decrease in its electricity rates in September.Its electricity rate for this month is P11.5621/kWh, P0.0542 lower than last month’s P11.6163, NONECO said.NONECO attributed the slight decrease to the decline in the total generation charge by P0.793/kWH compared to last month.This decrease in generation charge was observed when the energy cost from Palm Concepcion Power Corporation decreased by P0.3257/kWH.The electric cooperative also noted that this is the third consecutive month that their electricity rates decreased.*

The biosecurity guidelines were set by the provincial government to ensure that there will be no second wave of ASF, Lemana said.*DA photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government has released biosecurity guidelines for sentineling to help hog raisers ensure an African Swine Fever (ASF) and cholera-free environment for their pigs as pre-sentineling will begin in the first week of October.The guidelines for sentineling were already signed by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and copies will be given to the Negros Occidental mayors, Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Placeda Lemana said on Wednesday, September 27.Lemana said that prior to the planned pre-sentineling Provincial Veterinary Office personnel have been going around to slaughterhouses and live auction markets to conduct massive disi...

The National Food Authority-Negros Occidental aims to buy 106,000 Lkg bags of palay from Negrense rice farmers before the year ends at an increased buying price of P23 per kilo, which started September 20.NFA-Negros Occidental Acting Branch Manager Glenda Paz told DIGICAST NEGROS on Wednesday, September 27, that this increase coincided with the implementation of price caps on rice, which is at P41/kilo for regular milled and P45/kilo for well-milled.For almost a week since the implementation, NFA-Neg. Occ. has already bought about 1,000 bags of palay from the local farmers, she said.Paz said they are targeting to buy 10,000 bags this month.NFA will buy palay that are clean, dry, and with 14 percent moisture content.Paz also reported that four local government units in N...

1Lt. Charmaine Sancho (2nd from right), civil-military operations officer of the 47th Infantry Battalion, with family members of the slain New People’s Army fighters during the release of the cash assistance by the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Kabankalan City on Monday.*The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Western Visayas (DSWD-6) has provided financial and funeral assistance to the families of the six New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who were killed in a clash with troops of the Philippine Army’s 47th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on September 21.All bodies were identified and claimed by their next of kin, 1Lt. Charmaine Sancho, 47IB civil-military operations officer, said on Wednesday, September 27.Together with Ka...