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Ronnie Baldonado file photoCiting a crisis of transparency within the industry, sugar workers and small-scale farmers have formally petitioned the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to release the minutes of meetings involving controversial sugar orders.The National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP) and the NACUSIP Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Council in a letter Monday, Jan. 26, requested full disclosure from Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel and Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona of the minutes of Sugar Order No. 8 (Series of 2025), as well as Sugar Orders No. 2 and 3 (Series of 2026).The request follows a public consultation held on January 23, where stak...

The rescued fishermen (3rd to 5thfrom left) on board the Singaporean vessel* Three fishermen from Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, are safely back on dry land after a harrowing 36-hour ordeal adrift in the Sulu Sea. The trio were rescued by a passing international vessel on Sunday, January 25, sparking a coordinated relief effort by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). The fishermen, all residents of Barangay Culipapa, Hinoba-an, were left at the mercy of the currents after their fishing boat, MB Princess Henna, sank in open waters, the Coast Guard District Western Visayas reported.  For two days and one night, the fishermen remained adrift until they were spotted by the crew of the MV MAUD, a Singaporean-flagged bulk carrier. The ...

Sicablun Quatro, the street dance competition champion.* Ronnie Baldonado photo The celebration of the 52nd Dinagsa Festival in Cadiz City hit fever pitch with the Street Dance Competition, Lamhitanay sa Dalan, and street parties that drew thousands of spectators on Sunday, Jan. 25, Mayor Salvador Escalante said. The mayor noted that the festival attracted about 300,000 spectators, drawing visitors not only from across Negros Occidental but from various parts of the country. “It gets bigger every year,” he said. Escalante said that they are aiming for Lamhitanay sa Dalan to be recognized by the Guinness World Records as the biggest paint party in the world. Lamhitanay sa Dalan is a massive, city-wide celebration where thousands of participants roam the streets to sme...