HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said sugar production for the next crop year is expected to decline by seven to nine percent but expressed hope that mill gate prices will improve due to the current oversupply of raw sugar. SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona explained that the country produced around 2.085 …

By CESAR JOLITO III Human rights advocates and progressive organizations gathered to honor the 19 individuals killed during the April 19 armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, renewing their call for justice for the victims. The tribute program, titled “Negros 19: Panaghoy at Paghihimagsik,” was organized by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Karapatan and the University …

By CESAR JOLITO III The appearance of a “crater glow” or “banaag” at the summit of Kanlaon Volcano is a possible precursor to a magmatic eruption, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. In an advisory released yesterday, Phivolcs said the glow was first visibly observed by the naked eye around 7:00 p.m. …

By CESAR JOLITO III The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has called on the public to await the complete investigation findings on the April 19 encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, stressing that conclusions should be based on full forensic and operational evidence. In a statement, NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Ernesto …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has rejected the need for dialogue with armed groups following the April 19 Toboso encounter, insisting that the government’s security operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) were legitimate. Lacson stood firm on his position that there is no need for talks with insurgents at …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government is conducting an environmental assessment on the proposed 150-megawatt wind power project in Bago City, with officials closely examining its possible impact on migratory birds passing through the province. Former governor and current Provincial Consultant on Energy and Environment Rafael Coscolluela said one of the major …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Sugar Council has doubled down on its call to replace the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) Sugar Board, backing a manifesto signed by 93 industry leaders nationwide, even as labor groups simultaneously pushed for sweeping institutional reforms in sugar industry governance. The council said the growing clamor from farmers, mill workers, …

By CESAR JOLITO III Two major sugar industry groups have come out in strong support of the current leadership of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), pushing back against calls to replace the Sugar Board amid declining sugar prices. The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) expressed full …

By CESAR JOLITO III Human rights group Karapatan has criticized a recent security advisory issued by the United States embassy in the Philippines, warning American citizens against associating with groups allegedly linked to the New People’s Army (NPA). The advisory followed an April 19 military operation in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, where 19 individuals were …

By CESAR JOLITO Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. reiterated the government’s refusal to engage in peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (NPA) in the aftermath of the deadly encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 suspected rebel remnants dead. “They’re the ones disturbing the peace. Why …