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Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations thanked the Sugar Regulatory Administration board Tuesday, March 30, for its swift action in classifying 100 percent of the country’s sugar as “B’ to be sold in the domestic market.“We acknowledge and thank the swift action of SRA Administrator (Hermenegildo) Serafica and its Board Members in stopping the US allocation through the SRA Sugar Order No.1-A Series of 2020-2021,” Raymond Montinola, CONFED president, said.The SRA Board in Sugar Order 1-A issued Monday, March 29, scrapped the classification of 7 percent of the country’s sugar as “A” for the US Sugar market.Effective week ending April 4 all of the sugar produced in the country will be classified as 100 percent “B”, Serafica said.“We believe...

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared Wednesday, March 31, a special non-working day in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.Proclamation 1125 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea for the president, said Himamaylan City will mark its charter anniversary and Himaya Festival.“It is but fitting and proper that the people of the City of Himamaylan be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies subject to community quarantine, social distancing and other public health measures,” the proclamation said.Meanwhile, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Negros Occidental provincial government offices will have a shortened work schedule on Wednesday in observance of the Lenten Season, except for offices that provide vital and esse...

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia Monday night ordered the temporary closure of the Bacolod City Government Center grounds until April 4.*The Department of Health in Western Visayas has classified Bacolod City as a COVID-19 high risk area, Dr. Jane Juanico, DOH 6 infectious disease cluster head, said Monday, March 29.Negros Occidental, Aklan and Capiz are classified as low risk areas, and Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo province and Iloilo City as moderate risk areas in terms of their COVID-19 two-week growth rate, she said.The two-week growth rate of the COVID-19 cases in Bacolod City increased by 614 percent that is why it has been classified as high risk, Juanico said.Bacolod's growth rate was -24.14 in the previous five to six weeks, she said.Mayor Evelio Leonardia said beca...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is issuing an executive order to again require passengers to be swabbed for COVID-19 tests on entry into Negros Occidental and to be quarantined until their negative results are released.Lacson said the decision to revert to the original protocol of the province was discussed at a Provincial Incident Management Team meeting Monday, March 29, amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases.“We discussed about the COVID situation and that we should go back to swab upon entry to the province. I will issue a new EO to this effect,” he said.The governor in compliance with National Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution 101 on March 15 had set aside the previous protocol of the province and allowed incoming passengers to be tested for COVID-19 from their point o...

Six of 10 rebels who were killed in a clash with state forces in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, were laid to rest Monday, March 29, at the city’s public cemetery.*Guihulngan PNP photoSix of the 10 rebels who were killed in an encounter with state forces in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, were laid to rest Monday, March 29, at the city’s public cemetery.The burial rites were led by the city government and the state forces, along with the families of the suspected members of the New People’s Army.Only one of the 10 cadavers was left unclaimed by his family. He was identified by the Army as Alias Jek-Jek of Barangay Budlasan, Canlaon City.The 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army also released Monday the names of the rebels killed in the three-hour firefight in Bar...

The Prayer for Peace participants at the Provincial Capitol Park in Bacolod City*Richard Malihan photoAn Army official in Negros called the 52nd anniversary of the New People’s Army Monday, March 29, a day of mourning for peace and democracy.That is why a multi-sectoral Peace Caravan that culminated with a Prayer for Peace at the Provincial Capitol Park in Bacolod City was held, Col. Michael Samson, 303rd Infantry Brigade acting commander, said.The NPA threat is real that is why we gathered to pray for an end to its existence, and for peace and justice to reign, he said.Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, in his speech during the Prayer for Peace activity said: “Today, in deference to that first Palm Sunday and as we start the Holy Week, we gather and offer our...

A total of 26,442 health care workers in Western Visayas have received their first dose of the COVID-19 Coronavac (Sinovac) and AstraZeneca vaccines as of March 28, Dr. Jane Juanico, Department of Health Western Visayas infectious disease cluster head, reported Monday, March 29.Juanico, in a virtual presser, read a DOH 6 statement stating that the 26,422 comprise 27.9 percent coverage out of the 94,770 masterlisted eligible health care workers in the region.The DOH 6 Center for Health Development assures that all eligible health care workers will also be vaccinated as soon as additional vaccines allocated for the region arrive, the statement said.As of March 28, the region has received 29,189 doses of Coronavac (Sinovac) and AstraZeneca.The DOH 6 reiterated that it follows ...

Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Sugar Regulatory Administration board has just issued a new order classifying all of the sugar produced in the country for domestic consumption, SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica said.Sugar Order 1-A, Series of 2020-21, signed Monday, March 29, states that effective week ending April 4 all of the sugar produced in the country will be classified as 100 percent “B,” Serafica said.Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, said this will address the rising prices of our domestic sugar which our consumers are already complaining about.UNIFED, the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, and the Luzon Federation of Sug...