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Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian*DA website photoDepartment Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian has resigned   after Malacañang announced that he “illegally” signed and issued Sugar Order No. 4 granting the importation of 300,000 MT of sugar without the authority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.A copy of Sebastian’s resignation letter addressed to Marcos, who is also concurrent DA secretary, was released to the media by Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles Friday night, August 12.Sebastian, DA undersecretary for operations and chief of staff to the agriculture secretary, apologized for having approved SO4 on Marcos’ behalf through the authority he had vested on him.“I has become clear that the same was not in keeping with your administr...

A 19-year-old was arrested after he allegedly stole a bike that was parked at a public market in Bago City on August 10.*Bago PNP photoA teenager was arrested  at the public market of Brgy. Poblacion in Bago City, Negros Occidental Wednesday, August 10, for allegedly stealing a bike.Nabbed was Dorwin Arevalo, 19, of Purok Balintawak, Brgy. Don Jorge Araneta, Bago City.Police said that the bike, which was borrowed by a minor from his cousin, was parked at the public market when it was stolen.The minor was having his haircut when he learned about the stolen bike, which was worth P15,000. He immediately called for help from his cousin to look for the suspect, whom they later caught with the bike.The suspect is now in the custody of the Bago police.*

Merle Garcia and Dr. Girlie Pinongan (right)*Two acting Negros Occidental provincial government officers have been promoted, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, August 12.Merle Garcia is now Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer and Dr. Girlie Pinongan is Hospital Operations Department head in permanent capacities, he said.Dr. Placeda Lemana remains the Provincial Veterinary Office OIC.Filling up of other permanent positions will follow, Diaz said.The formal installation of the reshuffled heads of the provincial government hospitals will be held next week,We will introduce our new chiefs of hospitals and chief nurses to the communities where they will be assigned, Diaz said.*

Some stalls at the fish, fruit and vegetable sections have opened*Barbara MIjares photoSeveral stalls have already opened at the Negros Occidental Food Terminal Market at the North Capitol Road in Bacolod City.Some stalls at the fish, fruit and vegetable sections have opened and more are expected to follow on or before August 15.The provincial government will start charging rent to those awarded stalls at the food terminal on August 15, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, August 12.The opening of seafood restaurants at the food terminal is also being readied.The provincial government will collect rent for the stalls on a daily basis to make it easy for the vendors, Diaz said.Diaz said priority for the rental of stalls was given to residents of Negro...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is staging a “MassKara sa Panaad” in support of Bacolod City’s festivities in October, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, August  12.Local government booths will open to sell goods and activities will also be staged at the Panaad Park in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod, during the MassKara Festival, he said.Diaz said provincial government officials, including its tourism officers and representatives of the Association of Negros Producers, met with Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Thursday to discuss programs that Negros Occidental and Bacolod City can jointly undertake.They discussed the MassKara Festival to be held in Bacolod City in October and the Negros Trade Fair in Makati City in September.They are also...

“Since the president has already decided on the issue, the pressure is now on the mills to produce as much sugar as they can," Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Producers, said.*Ronnie Baldonado photoSugar groups welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s revocation of the order that would have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, and joined the call for a revamp of the Department of Agriculture (DA)  and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA)  on Friday, August 12.Malacañang is investigating the “illegal” issuance of Sugar Order No. 4 (SO4) granting the importation of 300,000 MT of sugar without the authority of the president, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles announced on Thursday.The president is concurrent DA ...

Charmaine Pahate, Bacolod Councilor Jason Villarosa, Benjamin Lopue II, Charlie Co, Councilor Em Ang, City Tourism Officer Tere Manalili and Manny Montelibano (l-r) at the opening of the rum festival*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Tanduay Bacolod Rum Festival opened with an art exhibition and jazz concert featuring Bacolod’s leading artists at the Art District in Bacolod City Friday afternoon, August 12.This is the first face-to-face festival in Bacolod City since the two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bacolod Councilor Em Ang said.Ang, who authored the city ordinance creating the rum festival, said it was first held in 2019 and its staging this year signals the reopening of tourism in Bacolod and Negros Occidental.It features rum made in Bacolod and highlights the...

Aurelio Gerardo J. Valderrama Jr. *The Planters’ Association of Southern Negros Inc. issued a statement of support on Friday, August 12, for Aurelio Gerardo J. Valderrama Jr. on his appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as acting member of the Sugar Regulatory Administration Board representing the planters.PASON is the biggest planters' association of the Biscom Milling District whose membership is 95 percent small sugar farmers and is an independent   non-aligned association, its president Luis T. Garingalao said.Garingalao said PASON strongly believes that Valderrama is well-qualified for the position as he is a hands-on sugar farmer because of his long years of experience in the sugar industry.“He is very much acquainted with the problems besetting the ...

Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer*Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, who has been calling for the resignation of Hermenegildo Serafica from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), said he will not comment on the matter anymore since an investigation is already underway.“The investigation is ongoing so for delicadeza I will refrain from any comment as of now,” Ferrer said on Friday, August 12.He will just submit documents in support of his call for the removal of Serafica, he said.Ferrer said he will also not comment on his call for the revocation of the president’s appointment of Aurelio Gerardo J. Valderrama Jr. as Sugar Board member representing the planters anymore.“I have already said what I want to say against Mr. Valderrama that is over” he sa...

NBI-Bacolod district office chief Renoir Baldovino shows photos of two Small Town Lottery outlets that are reportedly operating illegally in Negros Occidental.*Barbara Mijares photoThe National Bureau of Investigation-Bacolod district office raided two more Small Town Lottery outlets that are reportedly operating illegally in Negros Occidental on Wednesday, August 10.They are in Sipalay City and in Binalbagan.NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said on Thursday, August 11, that the Vikings Peryahan ng Bayan outlets  were already closed when the NBI went to the two areas.It was on August 6 when the NBI operatives made a test bet, and conducted surveillance on August 8.The STL outlets were still operating on August 9, the day before the raid.Baldovino said they su...