PROVINCE NEWS - Sights Of Negros

NEWS: Thousands of vacancies up for grabs in Dumaguete job fair

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 06/04/202406/04/2024Comments are Disabled

DUMAGUETE CITY – More than a thousand vacancies are available to those seeking employment locally or overseas during a job fair set Saturday in this Negros Oriental capital. Socorro Mira, head of Public Employment Service Office (PESO) here, told the Philippine News Agency on Friday that 14 local companies and seven overseas manning agencies will be participating in the local and overseas job fair at a mall here. This is the first job fair for this year, initiated by the city government through the PESO, in cooperation with other agencies, such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Available positions include those in the construction, hospitality and business process outsourcing sectors; nurses, service crew, and restaurant workers, among others. Mira said representatives of the Department of Migrant Workers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Association and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will also be on hand to provide services to the jobseekers. Another job fair is scheduled on May 1, in coordination with the DOLE, as part of the Labor Day anniversary celebration, Mira said. Source: PNA

NEWS: Guv lifts suspension of classes in Negros Oriental as heat index drops

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 06/04/2024Comments are Disabled

DUMAGUETE CITY – Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria on Friday ordered the lifting of the suspension of classes at all levels in both public and private schools across the province, citing a better projection of lower heat indices in the coming days. The move came just two days after the governor declared the suspension of classes province-wide under Executive Order No. 24 due to extreme heat index at the time which was bordering on the tipping point to be considered “danger” as classified by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Sagarbarria cited in his latest executive order on the lifting of the suspension the local PAGASA representative during a meeting Friday at the Capitol that “the temperature forecast for the province for the coming week and onward will be below the danger category of heat indices”. As of 4 p.m. Friday, the heat index based on the PAGASA radar here was at 36.1 degrees Celsius. Earlier this week, Negros Oriental was projected to reach to as high as 39 degrees Celsius in some parts of the province. Some institutions also had sought the lifting of the suspension of classes, saying they had air conditioned classrooms as well as other measures to counter the searing temperatures. Meanwhile, the governor, through Provincial Administrator Arthur Fran Tolcidas, in the same meeting urged the local government units (LGUs) to make an assessment and submit a report of the damage caused by the El Niño. Adrian Sedillo, executive director of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), told the Philippine News Agency one of the highlights of the meeting was to determine if there was a need to declare a state of calamity in the province. Sedillo said based on certain parameters, the current situation in Negros Oriental does not warrant the declaration of such. However, LGUs have the discretion to declare a state of calamity at the local level if the damage and losses incurred due to the El Niño are met, he said. When more than two LGUs are already under a state of calamity, the provincial government can then follow suit, he added. As of now, the Department of Agriculture said only 11 LGUs have so far submitted damage reports with some only having complete data. The DRRMOs in the cities and municipalities and the Provincial Agriculturist’s Office have been tapped to help obtain the necessary data to guide the province in its El Niño mitigating measures and interventions in the coming days, Sedillo said. Source: PNA

NEWS: 23 fishers rescued as boat catches fire off Negros Oriental town

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 24/03/2024Comments are Disabled

Twenty-three fishermen were rescued after the motorized boat they were riding caught fire off the coast of Basay, Negros Oriental and sank on Thursday, police said Friday. Lt. Stephen Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), said the fishing vessel “Quadro Alas II” went up in flames in the municipal waters of Barangay Nagbo-alao in that southern town. The survivors included 22 crew members and its owner, identified as Ray Culagbang, 45, from Barangay Nagbo-alao. Polinar said the fishermen had just departed to sea when fire suddenly broke out, prompting them to jump into the sea. The motor boat sank due to engine failure caused by overheating, a police investigation report said. Estimated damage was placed at PHP5 million. The survivors managed to retrieve their fishing nets. Police and Coast Guard personnel conducted search and rescue operations and all fishermen were accounted for with no casualties reported. Authorities are still conducting further investigation on the incident, Polinar said. Source: PNA

Higher mill gate prices ‘big relief’ to sugarcane planters

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 20/03/2024Comments are Disabled

BACOLOD CITY – Higher mill gate prices of sugar have brought “big relief” to farmers amid the challenges posed by the drought due to El Niño to sugarcane plantations. After hitting PHP2,600 per 50-kg. bag in February, prices went even higher, breaching the PHP2,800 level by the middle of March. The biggest independent sugar group in the country, the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED), said in a statement on Tuesday that they are thankful that “prices have gone up to the level that farmers are comfortable with.” “Today’s prices are a big relief to planters who are also facing the problem brought about by El Niño,” said UNIFED president Manuel Lamata, based in this city. He acknowledged Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Sugar Regulatory Administration (DA) chief Pablo Luis Azcona for their efforts that resulted in higher mill gate prices. “We owe a lot to Secretary Laurel and Administrator Azcona, and also our planters’ representative to the SRA Board, Dave Sanson, who gave solutions to our problem on low mill gate prices at the start of the milling season,” he added. In Negros Occidental, the country’s sugar capital, bidding prices in at least seven sugar mills ranged from PHP2,801 to PHP2,856 per 50-kg. bag during the week ending March 10. Lamata noted that when UNIFED first came out with an appeal, the “mill gate prices then was at PHP2,400 per 50-kg. bag.” This was not even a break-even point for the farmers, particularly those with smaller plantations, as the costs of farm inputs were also high at that time. We immediately sought the DA and SRA intervention, and thankfully, they responded with the issuance of Sugar Order (SO) No. 2,” he added. SO2 allows traders to purchase 300,000 metric tons of local raw sugar in exchange for future allocations, seen to stabilize mill gate prices while “ensuring fair and reasonable retail prices.” “Thereafter, prices started going up to what it is now, PHP2,850 per 50-kg. bag on average. I hope that the recent sugar order will be institutionalized for succeeding crop years to ensure steady and competitive prices for our mill gate produce,” Lamata said. Source: PNA

NEWS: Bacolod City residents to get additional water supply

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 14/03/2024Comments are Disabled

BACOLOD CITY – PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. (PrimeWater), this city’s private water distributor, has assured Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of additional water volume in the coming months amid the water shortage experienced in several residential areas made worse by the prolonged dry weather. PrimeWater president Roberto Fabrique Jr. gave the assurance in a letter dated March 7 addressed to Benitez and released by the city government on Wednesday. “We have devised a plan to augment water supply that will allow PrimeWater to deliver (an) additional seven million liters of water per day (MLD) to a maximum volume of 17 MLD to the residents of Bacolod City,” he said. Fabrique said the plan entails the utilization of additional water sources to supplement the firm’s existing infrastructure alongside extensive repairs and improvements to reduce water loss. PrimeWater will undertake within the next five months the optimization of 12 identified deep wells that can “produce more or less seven MLD of water volume”, he said. Fabrique cited a water source interconnection and pipelaying project to divert water supply of two MLD from its Forbes Hill pumping station to different areas of the city, including Barangay Bata as well as Eroreco Subdivision and other parts of Barangay Mandalagan. The plans include the activation of Highland Hills Subdivision water source, once turned over to PrimeWater, to produce water volume of up to one MLD, and massive leak repairs or non-revenue water reduction for additional two MLD of recovered water. Fabrique said they are also looking at five MLD production from Bocal-Bocal Spring, subject to availability of connection pipes and agreement between PrimeWater and the water source owner/operator. Last weekend, PrimeWater, together with its joint venture partner Bacolod City Water District (Baciwa), said in a statement that it has acquired a water truck for deployment as a contingency plan to mitigate the impact of the El Niño on the current water supply. The water truck, which can store up to three cubic meters of water, is being used to deliver water during service disruptions across multiple barangays, it added. Benitez earlier said there is “as much as 15 percent” reduction in the level of the city’s water sources, based on the report of Baciwa-PrimeWater. In response, the mayor formed a coordinating action team mainly to expedite the implementation of vital infrastructure to improve water supply for Bacolodnons. “The city government is taking steps to address the shortage in water supply,” he added. Source: PNA

NEWS: Sugar trail in Panay, Negros eyes inclusion in World Heritage List

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 14/03/202414/03/2024Comments are Disabled

The sugar heritage trail in Panay and Negros Islands is now on the tentative list of the World Heritage List following its nomination by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Philippines. Entitled “The Sugar Cultural Landscape of Negros and Panay Islands” was submitted under the cultural category with seven areas and properties as components, including the Calle Real in Iloilo City; and the historic center of Silay City, Hawaiian-Philippine Company, Victorias Milling Company, Hacienda Santa Rosalia, Balay ni Tana Dicang, and Aniceto Lacson Mansion, all in Negros. “The Sugar Cultural Landscape of Negros and Panay Island showcases the legacy of the sugar industry brought by the industrialization of sugar production in the late 18th century, such as mills, factories, plantations, buildings, and mansions that reflect the social and economic dynamics of the late Spanish-colonial and American-colonial eras,” said the narrative posted in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention website. Calle Real is a heritage zone designated by the Iloilo City government and declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) as a district and heritage zone. The Historic Center of Silay City, with its collection of preserved heritage houses, is part of the Silay National Historical Landmark as declared by the NHCP. Other parts of the trail are privately owned, consisting of two operating sugar centrals, one as a private home, a museum, and one for reuse by the National Museum of the Philippines. The entry is now on the tentative list, which needs to submit substantive documents to prove that it is of “outstanding universal value” before the Sept. 14, 2024 deliberation. “I am very happy. We might be the first city with a Calle Real identified in the UNESCO World Heritage List,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas in a statement. The Department of Tourism Western Visayas in 2023 commissioned a study to explore the possibility of establishing a Western Visayas Sugar Heritage Trail to better understand the industrial heritage and identify the opportunity for sugar heritage tourism products in the region. Initially, the study identified 127 trails or remnants and landmarks of the industry; 87 are in Negros Occidental, 25 in Iloilo, five in Guimaras, seven in Capiz, and three in Antique. The Miagao Church in Miagao, Iloilo, built by Spanish Augustinian missionaries in 1786, is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Baroque Churches of the Philippines.” Source: PNA

NEWS: Negros Oriental’s fire incidents alarming, says BFP official

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 14/03/2024Comments are Disabled

DUMAGUETE CITY – The Bureau of Fire Protection chief in Negros Oriental has sounded the alarm over the continued rise in the number of fire incidents in the province during the first quarter of the year. The province has recorded 64 fire incidents, structural and non-structural, since January 1, according to Supt. Noel Nelson Ababon, provincial fire marshal, during a forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency. Of the number, structural fires totaled 30, while non-structural fires totaled 34 as of March 5, Ababon said. The country commemorates March as fire prevention month. In 2023, the BFP responded to 222 fire incidents, with a monthly average of 18. Ababon said the ongoing El Niño was one of the major factors that contributed to the high incidence of fire. “For me, this is now alarming but we have to consider El Niño this year, a factor that could have contributed to the rise in fire incidents due to the extreme heat brought about by the phenomenon,” he said in Cebuano. Ababon said the most common cause of the fire was electrical, although some were ignited by open flame. Many cases this year are still under investigation as fire investigators are given 45 days to determine the cause of a fire, he said. Another factor that heightened fire risks is flammable items in homes, such as furniture made out of synthetic materials, he added. The provincial fire marshal is hopeful that with various interventions, the number of fire incidents in Negros Oriental will be fewer than last year. The BFP here is already implementing the Community Fire Protection Plan in every barangay, with one fire personnel assigned in each village. Meanwhile, Chief Insp. Marlon Chomling, city fire marshal here, identified at least nine barangays that are ‘fire-prone’, usually due to dense populations. These are the barangays of Bagacay, Looc, Calindagan, Bajumpandan, Banilad, Bantayan, Piapi, Daro, and Talay, Chomling said. The city fire chief disclosed they are proposing to establish sub-stations, especially in outskirts barangays to cut down on response time. Chomling is also hopeful that additional fire hydrants will be established in this capital city. Ababon, also urged local leaders to seek additional funding for the procurement of more fire trucks. He admitted that the current fleet of 34 fire trucks in the province is not enough if fire callouts happen simultaneously. Source: PNA

NEWS – Victorias City restores historic muscovado sugar mill smokestack

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 12/03/202412/03/2024Comments are Disabled

VICTORIA CITY – The City of Victorias in Negros Occidental has restored the historic “simboryo” or smokestack of a muscovado sugar mill in Barangay VIII as part of the initiatives to preserve its rich local heritage. Muscovado is unrefined cane sugar with a rich brown color. On Monday, the city government reported the completion of the clearing operation of the 20-foot smokestack, located in Hacienda Felisa I, previously “engulfed by overgrown vegetation that obscured its architectural beauty and historical value”. Councilor Dino Acuña, chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, Environmental Protection, and Ecology, said in a statement the local community has long wanted to seek assistance from the authorities to clear the structure built during the Spanish period. “There is no exact date on when it was established but for sure, it was before the sugar centrals were built,” he added. Acuña said he brought the matter to the attention of Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez after village chief Jose Murillo posted about the decaying state of the smokestack on the barangay’s Facebook page. Benitez then initiated a clean-up activity and deployed workers for the clearing operation. For two days last week, various departments joined hands to conduct the clearing operation, Acuña said. These included the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and the City Engineer’s Office, with the assistance of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative. The removal of the invasive plants showed the intricate details and grandeur of the structure and also sparked a renewed sense of pride and unity among the residents, the city government said. “The smokestack is an important heritage and cultural property. It showcases the cultural and historical significance not only to the city but also to Negros Occidental as the sugar capital of the Philippines,” Acuña said. He noted that before refined and brown sugar were produced, sugarcane plantations produced muscovado sugar, which they transported to Panay Island for export to other countries. “The smokestack continued to operate until sugar centrals were built in the province to produce centrifugal sugar such as refined sugar produced by Victorias Milling Company built in 1919,” Acuña said. Source: PNA

Siquijor to supply live hogs to Negros Oriental amid high pork prices

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 27/02/2024Comments are Disabled

The provincial government of Siquijor will supply live hogs to Negros Oriental and help it recover from a perceived shortage of pork and pigs in the local markets. Jaymar Vilos, designated information officer of the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) of Negros Oriental, told the Philippine News Agency on Monday that the commitment made by Siquijor would address the high prices of pork. “Hopefully, the prices of pork in Negros Oriental will go down once Siquijor start sending live hogs here as the island-province has excess supply, although the number of pig heads is still undetermined,” Vilos said in mixed English and Cebuano. Provincial veterinarian Dr. Melody Vilan and her counterpart in Siquijor, Dr. Jhea Maginsay, had initial discussion on the issue and are awaiting the completion of requirements before they proceed with the shipment of live hogs, he said. The move comes days after Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria issued an executive order on Feb. 21 lifting the ban on live hogs and pork by-products from other provinces, especially those affected by the African swine fever (ASF), provided they comply with the requirements, he added. Suppliers of live hogs and pork by-products have specific requirements to complete, such as certifications from the PVO, Bureau of Animal Industry, and local government units that they are ASF-free, negative tests of ASF, as well as shipping permits and registered vehicles, among others. Meanwhile, Vilos said at least four individuals were already issued certificates of acceptance from the PVO here for their inbound shipment of pork by-products. So far, their office has not yet received any application to bring live hogs to the province, he said. Hog suppliers and consumers here have been urging concerned government agencies to help bring down the prices of pork, which reportedly jumped from a little over PHP200 a kilo late last year to almost PHP400 a kilo today. Residents also complain of unusually high prices of “lechon” or roast whole pig, which they said has almost doubled in recent months. No government agency or office has released the actual price monitoring data for pork and lechon, they said. Those in the business of selling live hogs and pork say the ASF that had affected some towns and cities in Negros Oriental resulted in the diminishing supply of pigs. Prior to the lifting of the ban, local hog suppliers were not allowed to ship out or bring in live pigs from ASF-affected provinces. Vilos said they will intensity their information dissemination to pig suppliers so they will be aware of the lifting of the ban and can now bring in live hogs. Source: PNA

NEWS – Bacolod City lifts pork ban

by Poster1PROVINCE NEWS 24/02/2024Comments are Disabled

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has lifted the ban on the entry of live pigs, pork and pork products from other parts of the country to address the growing demand and revive the local hog industry. Benitez signed Executive Order (EO) 09-2024, dated Feb. 23, directing the City Veterinary Office (CVO) “to allow the movement of pork and other swine products in the city pursuant to the provisions of Department of Agriculture (DA) Administrative Circular No. 22, series of 2022.” The mayor was referring to the DA directive that provides national zoning and movement plan for the prevention and control of African swine fever (ASF) and redefines the zone classification. “With the increasing demand for pork products, there is a need to issue additional directive to avert any threat of shortage of basic food necessities, and at the same time, prevent the spread of ASF and help revive our local hog industry and its allied industries,” he said. The mayor said the directive is consistent with the updated DA Administrative Circular No. 22 and aligned with local issuances and national policies and directives. Although the ban was already lifted, Benitez maintained that shipments of live pigs, pork, pork products and other related products should be accompanied by necessary permits and pertinent documents when entering Bacolod. “To ensure compliance to the DA administrative circular, the CVO shall strictly monitor and screen compliance, particularly on the documentary requirements,” he added. Benitez released the EO after he and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson issued a joint EO, also on Feb. 23, setting aside their joint directive in 2023 and “establishing the guidelines for the entry of all live pigs, boar semen, pork, pork products and other related food items from areas with reported cases of ASF.” Under the DA classification, Bacolod is currently tagged as red (infected) zone while Negros Occidental is identified as dark green (free) zone or cities and municipalities where ASF is not detected and are considered of low risk. “In view of the different classifications of the Province of Negros Occidental and the City of Bacolod and upon the recommendation of the DA, there is a need to set aside Joint EO No. 1, Series of 2023,” Lacson and Benitez said. Earlier this week, Lacson said that Negros Occidental will continue to prohibit the entry of live pigs, pork meat and pork products from red zones to prevent the resurgence of ASF infection. “We will continue to follow our policy. We will continue to be strict on the entry of pork products, especially for those from areas color-coded as red,” he pointed out. Source: PNA