NZ offers post-graduate scholarships to Pinoys
THE New Zealand government, thru the New Zealand ASEAN Scholars (NZAS) awards, offers full post-graduate scholarship to eligible Filipinos.
Reina Lino, NZAS Programme Administrator of Batu Balani Foundation, made the announcement Wednesday.
Benitez mulls programs for sugar farmers’ kids
THIRD District Representative Albee Benitez said Tuesday that once he gets a second term in Congress, he will revisit the Social Amelioration Law for the sugar industry to raise more funds for socio-economic programs that will benefit the dependents of sugar industry workers.
Benitez made this intent in his address to the scholars-trainees of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) Livelihood and Technical Skills Training Center in Alijis, when he accompanied reelectionist Sen. Koko Pimentel during the senator’s visit to NFSP.
Alvarez, board members ask COA to probe sheep purchase
VICE GOVERNOR Genaro Alvarez and eight members of the Provincial Board asked newly-appointed Negrense Commissioner Rowena V. Guanzon of the Commission on Audit to investigate the overprice sheep undertaken by the Provincial Government.
In a letter dated April 2, they requested COA “to conduct an investigation on a transaction entered into by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Provincial Veterinary Officer Renante J. Decena of Negros Occidental with their Australian supplier International Livestock Export Pty. Ltd. involving the purchase of 5,840 heads of sheep at a very expensive price.”
Peña welcomes new police force
PULUPANDAN Mayor Magdaleno Peña on Monday said that he welcomes the assignment of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office Provincial Safety Company personnel in Pulupandan in lieu of the previous police personnel assigned in the town.
“It is usually a standard operating procedure during election period,” said Peña in a statement Monday.
2 Bacolod hoopsters join Jr. NBA national training camp
TWO young Bacolod hoopsters join eight other aspiring basketball stars to represent Mindanao in the 2013 Jr. NBA Philippines National Training Camp in Manila on April 26 to 28.
Jan Gabriel Sobrevega and Jose Antiporda from the University of St. La Salle-Integrated School came out on top along with eight other players who tried out in the Jr. NBA Regional Selection Camp presented by Alaska held at the University of South Eastern Philippines Gym on April 1 and 2.
Peña accepts Marañon’s challenge for debate
MAYOR Magdaleno M. Peña of Pulupandan town accepted the challenge of Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. to a debate in order to test one’s mental alertness and settle the issues once and for all.
The mayor issued the statement after the governor dared his detractors to a mental alertness test in order to refute Peña’s impression that the governor is showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease when Marañon predicted that he would win in five out of the six congressional districts in the province.
Sugar leader supports Alvarez
PULUPUNDAN Mayor Magdaleno Peña said Sunday that one of the top leaders of sugar planters in Negros Occidental and in the country has declared his support for Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez, the gubernatorial bet of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) for this coming May elections.
Peña was referring to sugar industry leader Manolet Lamata, president of the United Sugar Federation of the Philippines (Unifed), who, he said, declared his support for Alvarez during a meeting with NPC chairman emeritus former ambassador Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr. over the weekend in Negros Occidental.
Sugar’s long-term prospects upbeat
SUGAR prices may be facing challenging times in the next two years but the long-term prospects for the sweetener which has been the lifeblood of Negros Occidental’s economy for almost a century are upbeat.
Robert Day, Managing Director of ED & F Man Asia, made the statement during a forum “A Briefing on U.S. and World Market Trends for Sugar” organized by the Sugar Master Plan Foundation and the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines at Nature’s Village Resort and Hotel in Talisay City on Wednesday.
Buyers of Capitol's sheep tell provincial vet: Return our money
TWO businessmen who were among the pioneers in buying Capitol's imported sheep from Australia are asking the provincial veterinarian to cancel the purchase agreement and reimburse them for the sheep's purchase price, which they said was overpriced.
Rafael "Nene" Abello and Aurelio "Lito" Lacson expressed their sentiments in separate letters last week to Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Renante Decena, with a copy furnished to Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.
Sugar mill, ethanol, electric power eyed
SEAOIL Philippines Inc. is eyeing a joint venture with sugarcane planters to set up a three-legged factory somewhere in Murcia and Bago, where it can produce sugar, ethanol and electric power.
Enrique D. Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters who, together with UNIFED president Manolet Lamata, Mike Hinojales and sugar mill fabricator/consultant Mike Smith, met on Monday with SeaOil executives Francis Glenn Yu and his son Stephen Yu at the SeaOil main office in Manila last February 19 to ensure sustainability of the sugarcane industry.
