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Sugar production is expected to drop depending on the severity of the anticipated El Niño phenomenon.* Nic Ledesma photoThe country’s entire sugar production for crop year 2023-2024 has been classified as “B” or domestic market sugar effective immediately.Sugar Order No. 1 Series of 2023-2024 released by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) board on Monday, September 11, said the country’s total raw sugar production for the new crop year that covers Sept. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2024 is estimated at 1.85 million metric tons, with an estimated drop in production by 10 to 15 percent depending on the severity of the anticipated El Niño phenomenon.The total domestic raw sugar withdrawal for Crop Year 2023-2024 is estimated at 2.20 million MT, more or less, it said.The order st...

Two alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were arrested by police and military authorities in Sitio Mainit, Brgy. Santol, Binalbagan town in Negros Occidental at dawn Sunday, September 10.Junjie Camanso, 30, and Judy Blazer, 61, of Barangay Santol were arrested by virtue of warrants of arrest for attempted murder and murder, respectively, Maj. Alenel Valles, 62nd Infantry Battalion acting civil military operations officer, said.The suspects were alleged members of the NPA operating in the area.Judge Walter Zorilla of the Regional Trial Court Branch 55 in Himamaylan City, issued the warrant of arrest against Camanso for attempted murder on Sept. 28, 2019 and set his bail at P120,000.A warrant of arrest for murder was also issued by Judge Edgardo Catilo of the RTC in...

Rice distribution at E. Garcia Elementary School in Bacolod City.*Thousands of Bacolod residents received rice assistance from the city government at distribution centers in public schools during the weekend.Each of the recipients received 2 kilos each as part of the city’s assistance after Typhoon Goring hit Bacolod City, which is now under a state of calamity.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the distribution was citywide because the “Goring” rains and flooding hit the entire city.City Social Welfare Officer Sally Abelarde said on Sunday that they did not have a report yet on the total number of recipients during the weekend.Their target recipients for two days were 172,000 residents or 50 percent the 344,000 total, she said.It will be the mayor who can ...

The fire that hit Purok Tangkong in Barangay 7, Bacolod.*Arthur Yap photoA fire that swiftly spread through a densely populated area destroyed 38 houses and damaged 2 in Purok Tangkong, Barangay 7, Bacolod City, on Saturday night, September 9.The fire left 63 families with 201 members homeless, the Mayor’s Office reported.Chief Inspector Stephen Jardeleza, Bacolod Fire Marshal, said the fire started from the house of Frederico Lumayno who was cooking his food on a butane stove.Lumayno admitted that he forgot that he was cooking something and left to go to a wake of the dead, Jardeleza added.He started cooking at past 7 p.m. and the BFP received the fire call at 9:48 p.m., Jardeleza said.The houses in the squatter area were made of light materials and the fire spread...

Senator Imee Marcos holds a consultation meeting with various sectors in Bacolod City on Friday.*Nanette L. Guadalquiver photo“If Senator Imee (Marcos) cares about Negros I suppose she will support the NIR (Negros Island Region),” Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Sunday, September 10.Marcos, at a press conference in Bacolod City on Friday, said the creation of the NIR should be “economically viable”.The House of Representatives has approved a bill seeking the creation of the NIR composed Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. A counterpart measure is still pending in the Senate.“If you’re going to set up a new area, it should be viable economically. It should be worth it because you will be setting up offices. That’s costly,” Marcos said.Marcos said she does not ...

Fuel prices are again expected to go up on Tuesday, September 12.Diesel prices will increase by P0.40 to P0.60 per liter, and gasoline by P0.10 to P0.30 per liter, Unioil Petroleum Philippines announced on Saturday.Fuel firms hiked the prices per liter of gasoline by P0.50, diesel by P1.20, and kerosene by P1.10 on September 5.The year-to-date net increase is P15.30 per liter for gasoline, P10.70 per liter for diesel, and P7.74 per liter for kerosene, the Department of Energy said.*

Ten suspects, including two teenagers and a Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member, were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in four cities and two towns in Negros Occidental on Friday and Saturday, September 8 and 9, the police reported.Seized were 37.1 grams of shabu with an estimated street drug price of P252,280, the police said.CAFGU member Ryan Dominggo, 40, of Brgy. Sag-ang, La Castellana, was arrested by the police in Brgy. 1, Moises Padilla, on Saturday.Seized from him were 15 grams of shabu valued at P102,000, the police said.Five suspects, including a minor, were also arrested in a buy-bust operation and 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600 were seized at Ylagan Street, Brgy. 6, San Carlos City, Saturday afternoon.Arrested were Amado P...

Four persons were arrested in two towns and two cities in Negros Occidental for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the election gun ban on Friday and Saturday, September 8 and 9.Ronaldo Gayuma, 43, was arrested by virtue of a warrant arrest in Brgy. Dancalan, Ilog, Negros Occidental, Saturday night, the police said.The warrant was issued by Regional Trial Court Branch 61 Judge Rodney Magbanua for alleged murder with no bail recommended.During the arrest, the police recovered from him a .38 caliber revolver without markings, which violates the Election Omnibus Code and R.A. 10591.Meanwhile, Micheal Tanaman, 34, was arrested in Hacienda Ruez, Brgy. Cabanbanan, Himamaylan City, on Saturday.The police recovered fr...

Three fishermen were arrested for alleged illegal fishing near the coast of barangays Canmoros and San Juan in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, Saturday morning, September 9.Arrested were Randy Limen, 50, of Brgy. Marina, Binalbagan, and Arjie Laña, 28 of Brgy. Saraet, and Nelson Seron, 43, of Brgy. Aguisan in Himamaylan City, the police reported.The Binalbagan Police together with the Bantay Dagat task force conducted a seaborne patrol and apprehended the ferry boats “Marisa”, “Criston”, and “2 Brothers”.Confiscated from the fishermen were three fishing nets, four trawling boards worth P24,000, and fish catch worth P2,000.The suspects are now under the custody of the Binalbagan Police Station.*

The inflation rate in Bacolod City eased to 5.7 percent in August from 6.6 percent in July, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) - Negros Occidental on Friday night, September 8, showed.“The decline is brought by slight annual decreases of prices in some commodity groups,” OIC chief statistical specialist John Campomanes said in the summary inflation report and consumer price index (CPI) for all income households.These include food and non-alcoholic beverages; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels; recreation, sports, and culture; restaurants and accommodation services; and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services.In August 2022, the inflation rate in Bacolod was at 6.3 percent, ...