HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III Citing an estimated P12.8 billion in foregone revenues, a Senate inquiry has been proposed to investigate the alleged over-importation of sugar and its impact on the country’s local sugar industry, following the filing of Senate Resolution No. 369. The resolution directs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform to …

By CESAR JOLITO Tensions erupted during a regular session of Sangguniang Panlungsod in Negros Occidental’s La Carlota City after members of the minority bloc staged a walkout, citing alleged disrespect and procedural lapses involving the presiding officer, Vice Mayor David Baga. In a joint statement, La Carlota Councilors Jegie Aguirre, Akoy Sia, January Alvañez-Abad, and …

By CESAR JOLITO III The sugar sector should have already reduced its dependence on imports and significantly improved production output seven years following the enactment of the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA), a senator said. Speaking as guest of honor during the 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival’s opening ceremony, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito expressed concern …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Sugar Council has joined labor groups in demanding transparency from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), particularly over the approval of a controversial sugar importation order amounting to 424,000 metric tons. In a statement, the council supported the call of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the …

By CESAR JOLITO III An increase in electricity rates is “inevitable” as global oil prices continue to surge due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Alliance of Concerned Consumers in Electricity and Social Services (ACCESS) said. In an advisory, ACCESS said the ongoing geopolitical tensions are driving up fuel costs, which in …

By CESAR JOLITO III The 30th Panaad sa Negros Festival officially opens today, with the provincial government affirming its decision to push through with the event, citing that its economic and social benefits outweigh the costs despite ongoing financial challenges. Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the move to proceed was driven by both contractual …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government assured the Negrenses that there will be no immediate increase in real property taxes despite ongoing updates in land valuation, following concerns raised by the United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines (Unifed). Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the reassessment of property values is mandated …

By CESAR JOLITO III The proposed increase in real property tax in Negros Occidental could worsen financial pressures on key industries, especially the sugar sector, the United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines (Unifed) warned. In a board resolution, Unifed called on authorities to defer the implementation of higher property taxes, stressing that current economic …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government has expressed full support for the proposed “Purchase and Park Program” as a response to the current surplus in sugar stocks, emphasizing the need for immediate intervention to protect the local industry. In an official statement, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson underscored the province’s reliance on the …

By CESAR JOLITO III Leaders of the country’s sugar industry are pressing for urgent action on a proposed government-led buying program aimed at stabilizing declining prices and addressing a growing oversupply in the market. The proposal, endorsed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, Jr. to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., seeks to implement a “Purchase and Park …