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The Negros delicacies on display at the NTF media launch and exhibitors briefing.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe organizers of the 37th Negros Trade Fair (NTF) hope to top their P39 million sales last year when they open at the Glorietta 2 Palm Drive Activity Center in Makati City on September 26 to October 1.They have new producers who are joining this year’s NTF, which will showcase the best of Negros’ products in 108 booths, MaryAnn Colmenares, vice chair of this year’s trade fair, said Wednesday, August 23.“We want to show the diversity of our products,” she said.The trade fair media launch and exhibitors briefing was held at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City with a display of Negros delicacies.“The Negros Trade Fair holds the distinction of being...

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona speaks at the 69th Annual National Convention of the Philippine Sugar Technologists Association in Cebu City on Wednesday.*Butch Bacaoco photoThe Sugar Regulatory Administration chief on Wednesday, August 23, allayed fears of sugar farmers that millgate prices could drop below P3,000 per 50-kilo bag (LKg) at the start of the milling season in September.The Marcos administration is committed to keeping the millgate prices of sugar at P3,000 per LKg to protect the farmers, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona assured.Their goal “is to stop all the speculation and to tell everybody that the effort of the current administration is to keep the farmers’ price at P3,000 per LKg or P60 per kilo bag for their raw sugar”, he said.This will in turn k...

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, August 22, adopted House Resolution (HR) No. 1212, which certified “to the existence of a vacancy” in the third congressional district of Negros Oriental, and called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hold a special election to fill the seat formerly held by expelled Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr.The resolution authored by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Majority Leader Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe and House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan was approved by a simple voice vote.The authors said the vacancy in Negros Oriental’s third district was created due to the expulsion of Teves “for disorderly behavior and violation of Section 141 (a) and (b), Rule XX of the Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives, by the requisite vo...

Eufronia Pitong Fernandez (left), who was born on Aug. 5, 1920, was set to become the oldest beneficiary of the PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance Project in Negros Occidental, at age 103.*PSA-Negros photosA 103-year-old woman from Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, died the night before she was supposed to receive her birth certificate in official security paper (SECPA) from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) earlier this month.Eufronia Pitong Fernandez, who was born on Aug. 5, 1920, was set to become the province’s oldest beneficiary of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) Birth Registration Assistance Project (PBRAP), data obtained by the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday showed.“Mrs. Fernandez passed away on Aug. 9 at 7 p.m., the night before her authen...

Secretary to the Mayor Karol Joseph Chiu *Twenty-six nurses and midwives who are contract of service employees of the Bacolod City government are complaining about the three-month delay in the release of their salaries.“We apologize for the delay in the payment of the salaries and will review the process together with the City Health Office on how to fast track everything,” Secretary to the Mayor Karol Joseph Chiu said on Tuesday, August 22.The contracts of the 14 nurses and 12 midwives working at the lying-in clinic of the Bacolod City Health Office were endorsed to the Sangguniang Panlungsod on July 27 for the granting of authority for the mayor to sign, which the SP granted, Chiu said.The mayor signed the contracts that were then sent back to the SP for ratification on...

More than 5,000 job openings will be available to graduates of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority programs and other technical-vocational courses in Negros Occidental during the National Tech-Voc Day and TESDA 29th Anniversary event at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City on Friday, August 25.TESDA data on Tuesday, August 22, showed at least 24 local and overseas employers will participate together with other national government agencies that will assist job applicants as part of the World Café of Opportunities (WCO).Niña Connie Dodd, TESDA-Negros Occidental provincial director, enjoined job seekers, particularly the TESDA graduates, to take part in the WCO.“It’s a convergence of everything. We’re putting it together in one place, everything that ca...

The filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) will start on Monday, August 28, and will end on September 2.The election period, which includes a gun ban, will also start on Monday and will end on November 29.In Bacolod City the filing of COCs will be held at Robinsons Place Bacolod in Barangay Mandalagan to allow for a bigger venue, Elections Officer Kathrina Trinio-Caña said on Tuesday, August 22.There will be no filing of COCs at the Bacolod Comelec office because it will be too crowded, she said.The filing will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Saturday next week, she said.Candidates can download their COC forms from the Comelec website.They must print three copies on long size bond papers that sho...

Adnan Nillos Balisi*A Bacoleño is a topnotcher again.Adnan Nillos Balisi, a University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) graduate, made it to 6th place in the August 2023 Guidance Counselors Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Tuesday. August 22.He had a rating of 87.60 percent, the PRC added.Balisi was also the third placer in the August 2019 Physical Therapist Licensure Examination.The PRC said 295 out of 559 passed the Guidance Counselors Licensure Examination given by the Board of Guidance and Counseling in the National Capital Region, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Koronadal, Lucena and Rosales in August this year.Balisi, 26, said "having a full time job and reviewing for boards is difficult. I had to juggle my t...

A National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) probe into the hacking of the official Facebook page of EB Magalona town in Negros Occidental has been sought, Mayor Marvin Malacon said on Tuesday, August 22.Previously hacked were the official Facebook pages of Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Cadiz City and the MassKara Festival of Bacolod City where similar video clips from what appear to be sex films have been posted.The Municipality of EB. Magalona Facebook page was hacked on Tuesday.“We are currently working to recover the page. In the meantime, we appeal to everyone to report to Facebook any lewd and lascivious content being posted by shameless hackers on our FB page,” an advisory from the town’s public information office said.“We strongly advise the pub...

A ricefield in Negros Occidental.*Ronnie Baldonado photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, August 22, that the rising prices of rice will be difficult for consumers, which is a concern.Fears that the rising prices of rice will cause food inflation have been raised.“Obviously there is a struggle right now because India which is a net importing country has decided not to sell its rice,” Lacson said.On the call to abolish the National Food Authority (NFA) for failing to do anything, Lacson said the agency apparently lacks funds.“Is NFA being given enough funds to buy at a higher price from rice farmers? Without financial support to NFA, I feel that it will be very difficult for it to do its mandate,” he said.Asked if it is time for President Fe...