Local news

January 16, 2015
The Visayan Daily Star

The Philippine sugarcane industry is upbeat on increasing productivity by using high-yielding variety for sugarcane, through the Sugarcane Genomics Project, representatives of the Philippine Genome Center of the University of the Philippines said.

Agriculture project directors Rita Laude and Antonio Laurena of the PGC, who called on Administrator Ma. Regina Bautista-Martin of the Sugar Regulatory Administration, said genomics is potential to agriculture, a press release said yesterday.

January 14, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer
By Gil Cabacungan

Businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan —who has been building up equity position in listed sugar firms Roxas Holdings and Victorias Milling Corp.—inspected some sugar farm sites over the weekend in search of more investment opportunities in the farm sector.

January 13, 2015
Sun Star Zamboanga
By Bong Garcia

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has begun investigating the "disappearance" of more than 800 sacks or 42.2 tons of confiscated smuggled sugar in the custody of the BOC-Zamboanga District Office.

Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar requested the investigation after she discovered that 844 of the 1,170 sacks of the seized sugar are missing.

Sugar miller Victorias Milling Corp. is setting up a P500-million subsidiary that will set in motion plans to undertake power-related projects.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange Monday, VMC said its board of directors approved a plan to set up the wholly owned subsidiary.

A few years ago, VMC amended its bylaws to make room for diversification into allied businesses to strengthen operations ahead of a low-tariff regime under the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta).

January 13, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer
By Jerry Esplanada

MANILA, Philippines–Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla has ordered an investigation into the disappearance of more than half of the 1,171 sacks of smuggled Malaysian sugar seized earlier by a joint team of Bureau of Customs (BOC) agents and law personnel operatives in Zamboanga City.

Customs Deputy Commissioner for the Intelligence Group Jessie Dellosa is leaving for the southwestern Mindanao city Tuesday along with a team of BOC investigators to look into the case.

January 12, 2015
Philippine Daily Inquirer
By Julie Alipala

ZAMBOANGA CITY— Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar blew her top when she was informed on Friday that more than half of the 1,171 sacks of Malaysian sugar, which were seized by police and the Philippine Coast Guard for being smuggled, have disappeared.

January 07, 2015
ABS CBN News
By Raiza Dapilin and Jewel Reyes

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- More than a 1,000 sacks of alleged smuggled sugar were confiscated by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Barangay Bolong in Zamboanga City on Tuesday.

Based on initial investigation, the ship ML Ylaiza Maye V was sighted by police in Barangay Bolong and was intercepted.

The vessel was moved to the Zamboanga City Port, where law enforcement units made an inventory of its cargo.

January 07, 2015
The Visayan Daily Star

While the proposed Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2014 is by and large helpful to the industry, there are several toxic provisions in it that will hurt the farmers and the industry unless removed, sugar planter Stephen Chan warned yesterday.

The bill that has been approved at the congressional bicameral committee level is up for ratification in both Houses of Congress and is expected to be signed into law by the President soon, Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3 rd District) said earlier.

January 06, 2015
Daily Star
By Carla Gomez

Government, business and sugar leaders yesterday were upbeat about Negros Occidental’s economy in 2015 despite the start of the Asian Free Trade Area agreement this year.

Vice Governor Eugenio Lason said the sugar industry will continue to be the driver of Negros’ economy.

“And with fuel prices at a low, I expect a good year for sugar. Baring any major typhoon, the agricultural sector will be a major player,” he said.

January 5, 2015
The Philippine Star
By Zinnia B. dela Peña

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will impose a one percent creditable withholding tax on income payments on locally produced raw sugar.

This after the BIR created a separate sub-section for the withholding of creditable income tax on locally produced raw sugar given the peculiarity of operations by the sugar firms under the watch of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).