HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III The City of Smiles is set to light up with color, music and excitement as the MassKara Festival highlights weekend officially kicks off, promising a full lineup of events that will energize the city, ignite your senses and bring even more smiles to Bacolod. This year’s grand weekend is expected to …

By CESAR JOLITO III There is now strong evidence suggesting that Sugar Order (SO) No. 8, the controversial order that authorized the importation of 424,000 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar — was signed before the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) consulted with industry stakeholders, the Sugar Council (SC) revealed. The SC, composed of the Confederation of Sugar …

By CESAR JOLITO III No sugar importation will be allowed until the end of the current milling season in mid-2026, the national government assured sugar industry stakeholders as part of its commitment to support local producers and stabilize market prices. This was confirmed during a recent meeting with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Sugar Regulatory …

By CESAR JOLITO III Lawmakers in the Negros Island Region (NIR) called for immediate and decisive intervention from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) over the sharp and continuing decline of sugar prices, which could place the livelihoods of thousands of sugarcane farmers in jeopardy. In a joint statement, Negros Occidental Representatives Julio Ledesma IV (1st District), …

By CESAR JOLITO III The country’s major sugarcane federations have united to demand answers from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) over the sharp decline in sugar and molasses prices, warning that the industry’s viability — and its leadership culture — are both under serious threat. In a rare joint statement, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) President Enrique Rojas …

By CESAR JOLITO III The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) has come to the defense of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), rejecting criticisms from the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association, Inc. (Confed) that blamed the agency for the recent drop in sugar and molasses prices at the start of the milling season. “If there is someone …

By CESAR JOLITO III In a major blow to the illegal drug trade, authorities in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City recorded two successive operations that led to the arrest of two high-value drug personalities and the seizure of more than P1 million worth of suspected shabu. In Negros Occidental’s Victorias City, operatives of the City Component …

By CESAR JOLITO III The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) are jointly verifying the implementation of flood control projects in Negros Occidental amid allegations of “no ghost projects” in all districts. NBI-Bacolod chief Manuel Fayre, Jr. said all six district engineering offices of the Department of Public Works and Highways …

By CESAR JOLITO III The People’s Coalition for Good Governance (PCGG) has called on the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to make its hearings public, saying its current policy of confidentiality has “raised suspicion and criticism” and eroded public trust. In a statement released yesterday, PCGG convenor Wennie Sancho said that while the ICI was created …

By CESAR JOLITO III An international anti-trafficking group has hailed the Bacolod City government for its intensified efforts to combat the Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) — a growing cybercrime that has victimized an alarming number of Filipino minors. The International Justice Mission (IJM), a global human rights organization, praised the city’s proactive stance …