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The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Thursday, July 6, issued an order authorizing the importation of an additional 150,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar “in anticipation of a possible shortfall of supply and to bridge the gap between supply and demand”.Sugar Order No. 7 is the second import program for 2023 “to ensure sufficient actual supply of sugar for domestic consumption, as well as a two month buffer stock”.“The further reduction of sugar production volume for Crop Year 2022-2023 is forecasted due to early start and early end of milling” and unfavorable weather conditions, the order saidThe Sugar Import Program will be open to duly registered SRA international sugar traders in good standing.Eligible importers are mandated to ensure that their allocated volumes ar...

An alleged New People’s Army rebel was found dead following a series of encounters between 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers and NPA fighters in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, Friday, July 7.The 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers acted on a tip from an alleged disgruntled NPA member and the first encounter with 10 NPA rebels took place in Sitio Pangi, Barangay Carabalan, at 7 a.m., Lt. Col Van Donald L Almonte, 94IB commander, said.“The NPAs retreated to the north, prompting the pursuing troops to engage in a second encounter 2 kilometers away from the previous site. Another firefight ensued for approximately ten minutes before the NPAs dispersed in different directions, abandoning one deceased comrade,” the 94IB reported.Recovered from the encounter site ...

The participants in the Forum on Women’s Health and other Gender and Development Matters on Friday.*Capitol PIO photoNegros Occidental is among the provinces with “feminization of migration”, or an increasing number of women who are working in foreign countries, Rizza Joy Moldes, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) 6 OIC-regional director, said Friday, July 7.As of February this year, of the 51,618 migrant workers from Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, 35,712 were females while there were only 15,618 males, both for sea-based and land-based jobs, she said.The OWWA-6 has released P25 million in social benefits to migrant workers and their families in Western Visayas from January to June this year, she said.These include more than P19 million worth of deat...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez with the fire victims at Purok Magnolia, Barangay 7, Thursday night.*Albee Benitez FB page photoThere are 119 red zones in Bacolod City, which are communities that cannot be reached by fire trucks because of narrow pathways and obstructions, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Friday, July 7.Benitez who went to Purok Magnolia, Barangay 7, as firefighters were battling the blaze that destroyed 27 houses and damaged two others Thursday evening, said he saw the need for improvements in the response to such emergencies “I saw a lot of lapses that should be fixed”, he said.There is a need to act on the red zone problem and to enhance water supply for firefighting operations, he said.To address such concerns he held a meeting at t...

A motorcycle driver died after his vehicle collided with a truck at the highway in Brgy. Talubangi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Thursday night, July 6.Jimmy Tejas, 53, of Brgy. 1, Ilog town, lost control of his motorcycle and collided with a truck, a police report said.The truck was driven by Ariene Asna, 39, of Brgy. Binicuil, Kabankalan City.Tejas was going to Kabankalan City proper when he overtook a vehicle ahead of him and miscalculated the approaching truck in the opposite lane, the police said.The victim was brought to the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.Asna was brought to the Kabankalan Police Station but the family of the victim was not interested in filing charges against him, the police said.*

The two who were arrested in the Silay buy bust operation.*PNP photoTwo job order employees were arrested by the police in a buy-bust operation at Don Eustaquio Hofileña Memorial Elementary School in Brgy. 3, Silay City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, July 6.Arrested were Richard Valenzuela, 43, of Brgy. Mambulac and Romel Nerio, 30, from Brgy. 3 in Silay City, the police reported.Both of them work as watchmen paid by the Silay City government, the police said.Postrado is a high-value target while Nerio is a street-level target, the police added.The police recovered 13 grams of shabu estimated to cost P88,400 and drug paraphernalia.*

The 2,542 Negrense agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Cadiz City Friday.*PIA Negros Occidental photoThe Department of Agrarian Reform distributed 4,850 Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) to 2,542 Negrense agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) at the Cadiz City Arena in Cadiz City on Friday, July 7, in time with the signing of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act that condones agrarian debts in the country.About 3,200 Negrenses, including government officials, attended the ceremonial distribution of CLOAs to the ARBs by two DAR offices in Negros Occidental.The 4,800 CLOAs cover 2,452.27 hectares of agricultural land in Negros Occidental, the DAR announced.The event was in time with the signing of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ...

Hidilyn Diaz and Monico Puentevella*Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo will lead athletes who will see action in the 2023 National Weightlifting Championships set at SM City Bacolod from July 10 to 16.As of Friday, some 200 weightlifters from across the country are expected to compete.Samahang Weightlifting Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella said the tournament will serve as the national tryouts for the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China.“This will be a showdown. If you want to see Hidilyn in competition, come in the afternoon of July 13,” he added.Puentevella said Diaz-Naranjo, the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal, still wants to qualify for her fifth Olympiad.Also expected to compete in the national championships is Olympian Elreen Ann Ando...

Fire fighters battling the blaze at Purok Magnolia, Barangay 7, Bacolod City.*Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade FB photoA fire hit 29 houses in Purok Magnolia, Barangay 7, Bacolod City, at 11 p.m. Thursday, July 7, leaving many residents who fled to safety with no time to save any of their belongings.Twenty-seven houses were destroyed and two were damaged in the fire, Chief Inspector Stephen Jardeleza, Bacolod City Fire Marshal, said.Barangay 7 captain Hercy Cibug, said the fire spread swiftly and it was difficult for firefighters to put out the blaze because their fire trucks could not pass through the narrow pathways.The fire trucks could only reach up to the basketball court from where firefighters dragged their hoses to the fire hit area, she said.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo...

Katapo sang Bureau of Fire Protection, DRRMO kag volunteer organizations ginsapul ni Mayor Albee Benitez bangud sang kakulang sang tubig kag access sang nagluntad ang sunog sa Barangay 7 kagab-i.Nasaksihan mismo ni Mayor Albee Benitez ang paglamon sang kalayo sa masobra 30 ka mga balay sang nagluntad ang sunog sa Barangay 7.Pero nagapati ang alkalde nga napunggan kuntani ang halit kun napaiway ang mga kapaltahan nga iya man nakit-an.Nalakip diri ang kakulang sang tubig sang mga nag responde nga fire trucks pati ang kakulang man sang access ukon alagyan para sa mga bombero kag emergency responders.Sini lang nga hapon gin usisa kag ginpasabat sang alkalde ang pamunuan sang Bureau of Fire Protection, DRRMO kag rescue volunteer organizations.Tinutuyo sang alkalde nga mapaiw...