By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez yesterday filed a resolution seeking an investigation into the ongoing decline in “mill gate” sugar prices. Through House Resolution No. 1512, the congressman cited 2017-2018 crop year data showing “mill gate prices continued to decline, starting September 2017, dropping by 26 percent to …
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Provincial Government approves P3.5B 2018 budget
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Negros Occidental Provincial Board unanimously approved the P3.5 billion 2018 budget recently during their regular session. According to Board Member Salvador Escalante, Jr., who chairs the budget committee, the body did not “dwell on the amounts,” reiterating the 23 percent reduction in maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), as …
Local law enforcement ready to rejoin anti-illegal drug campaign
By Neska Centina The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is ready to participate again in the campaign against illegal drugs, according to BCPO spokesperson, Police Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas. “BCPO is ready,” Vargas affirmed. “We never stopped monitoring the activities of people involved in illegal drug trade.” Earlier this week, President Rodrigo Duterte signed a …
Advocacy group voices opposition to 3,000% increase on coal excise tax
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Following the approval of an amendment to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) bill, introduced by Senator Joel Villanueva, that called for an increase to the excise tax on coal from P10 per metric ton (MT) to P300 per MT, a 3,000 percent increase, Power Watch Negros (PWN) …
Local NDF denounces recent ambush in Bayawan City
Group blames Philippine Army, Duterte By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Negros chapter of the National Democratic Front (NDF) condemned “in the strongest terms” the recent ambush of a fact-finding team for the Central Visayas chapter of Karapatan, an alliance of human rights organizations, which left two dead in Barangay Nangka, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. …
Coast Guard to issue ‘heightened alert’ later this month
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Bacolod station commander Lieutenant Senior Grade Jimmy Oliver Vingno said they will be issuing a “heightened alert” status later this month, around the third week of December, as part of their holiday deployments. In a phone interview yesterday with Watchmen Daily Journal, he said the alert …
Iloilo City sets up public utilities desk to hear complaints about electrical service
By Paulo Loreto Lim After the Iloilo City Council passed a resolution last month opposing the franchise renewal for local power distributor, the Panay Electric Company, Inc. (PECO), Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III recently established the public utilities desk, where the public can voice their concerns regarding the utility company. “The city government has …
Iloilo City budget increases by nearly 11% for 2018
By Paulo Loreto Lim According to Iloilo City Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo, who chairs the appropriations committee, the 2018 city budget will be just over P2.2 billion, an increase of around 10.8 percent from the previous year. More than half of the entire budget will be allotted for special purpose appropriations and personnel. However, the Local …
ICPO credits police visibility, curfew implementation on declining crime rate
By Paulo Loreto Lim The most recent Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) data revealed the city’s crime rate continues to decline, a trend ICPO operations chief, Police Superintendent Jowel Saliba, credits to police visibility and curfew implementation. “If you notice an unusual person [committing] suspicious acts in your barangay, report it immediately to the police,” …
Local firecracker producers worried about Chinese-made pyrotechnics
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Local firecracker producers organization, the Hinigaran Firecracker and Pyrotechnic Manufacturers Dealers and Retailers Association, Inc., recently expressed concerns over the reported smuggling of pyrotechnics into the country from China. Association President Navarro Baylon, Jr. said the entry of the said products could negatively affect their business. He also noted, the …