Negros Daily Bulletin

15/07/2025

Smart, TNT Accelerates 5G Rollout;
Urge SIM Upgrades for Enhanced Digital Experience

Smart Communications, Inc. and TNT PH subscribers are advised to upgrade their devices and SIM cards to get the full benefits of network improvements.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4kIVtOW

Smart Communications, Inc. and TNT PH subscribers are advised to upgrade their devices and SIM cards to get the full benefits of network improvements. Read more: https://bit.ly/4kIVtOW

15/07/2025

Proposed Ordinance to Expand Senior Citizen Incentives Approved by SP on First Reading

The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City has approved on first reading a proposed ordinance that seeks to expand the city’s ladderized cash incentive program for senior citizens, lowering the starting age for eligibility from 80 to 75 years old and increase its budget to P10M annually.

Authored by Councilor Atty. Caesar Z. Distrito and co-authored by Councilor Celia Matea R. Flor, the proposed ordinance aims to amend City Ordinance No. 910, Series of 2019, known as the “Ladderized Cash Incentive Centenarian Award Ordinance of Bacolod City.”

“This amendment reflects our commitment to recognize and support our senior citizens earlier in their twilight years, especially given the increasing challenges they face,” said Councilor Distrito. “It’s about inclusivity and dignity.”

Key Amendments:
• The new incentive structure will start at age 75, with eligible seniors receiving ₱10,000 at each milestone:
• ₱10,000 at ages 75–80
• ₱10,000 at ages 81–90
• ₱10,000 at ages 91–99
• The remaining incentive upon reaching 100 years old, provided all previous incentives were granted.
• In cases where a qualified beneficiary passes away before receiving the incentive, the nearest family member or guardian may claim it, subject to proper verification in line with City Ordinance No. 670, Series of 2014.
• The annual city budget allocation for the program will be increased from ₱5 million to ₱10 million to ensure wider coverage and sustainability.

“This is a way to express our gratitude to our elders who helped shape the community we enjoy today,” added Councilor Flor. “Recognizing them while they are still with us is a moral obligation.”● (PR)

•• In Photo
Councilor Atty. Caesar Z. Distrito

15/07/2025

NGCP Nagpasaka sang Ila Ancillary Service Rates, Dugang sa Bill sang Mga Konsumedor:

𝐀𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩

Power consumers can expect higher transmission rates this July 2025, with the bulk of the increase driven by Ancillary Services (AS) rates, NGCP announced.

For the June 2025 billing period, both AS and NGCP’s transmission wheeling rates increased, but the surge in AS costs accounts for most of the adjustment.

Overall equivalent average transmission rates for the June 2025 billing period increased by 5.49% to PhP1.2113/kWh, from May's PhP1.1482/kWh. The increase was driven by a 9.32% increase in ancillary service rates in the June 2025 billing period.

From PhP0.5655/kWh in May, AS rates increased to PhP0.6182/kWh. AS rates pertain to the pass-through costs for power supplied by AS providers to stabilize the grid during power supply-demand imbalance. AS charges are remitted directly to generating companies with bilateral contracts with NGCP, and to the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) for the AS sourced from the Reserve Market. The AS cost for Visayas for the June 2025 billing period includes the 6th and last tranche of the settlement of the remaining 70% AS from the Reserve Market during the March 2024 billing period whose recovery was deferred by the ERC.

NGCP does not earn from AS and does not benefit from the movement in prices.

Meanwhile, NGCP's transmission wheeling rates slightly increased by 0.39%, from PhP0.4593/kWh in the May 2025 billing period to PhP0.4611/kWh in the June 2025 billing period.

Transmission wheeling rates are what NGCP charges for its primary service of delivering power.

“For the July 2025 electric bill of the end consumers, NGCP charges only PhP0.46/kWh for the delivery of its services,” NGCP explained, adding that AS still accounts for the bulk of transmission charges.● (NGCP)

15/07/2025

Bacolod Congressional Assistance

Congressman Albee Benitez:

Samtang ginapreparar pa ang aton permanente nga opisina, wala kita naga untat sa pag baton sang mga Bacolodnon nga nagakinahanglan sang bulig para sa medical, burial, kag educational assistance. Aton ini dayon gina paagi sa insakto nga evaluation kag assessment for approval.●

15/07/2025

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY IN AUSTRALIA
(By the Negros Occidental Prov'l Gov't)

Calling all Negrense applicants!
Dreaming of studying abroad? Here's your chance to become a scholar at two esteemed institutions in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia:
🏫 International College of Advanced Education (ICAE)
🏫 Alana Kaye College (AKC)

Courses Offered:
• Commercial Cookery – International College of Advanced Education
• Ageing and Individual Support – Alana Kaye College

HOW TO APPLY:
Interested applicants may submit curriculum vitae plus the required documents at the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program Division, 2nd Floor, Multi-Purpose Building (beside NBI), Aguinaldo Street, Bacolod City.

For inquiries, contact the Negros Occidental Scholarship Program at (034) 431-5892 or visit: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093975337313.●

Program

14/07/2025

Negros Power’s RFSC Charge Questioned

By Butch Bacaoco
CANE POINTS

In a press statement last Friday (July 11) at the FB page of Bacolod City Councilor Wilson “Jun” Gamboa, Jr., it was reported that the Bacolod City Council approved last July 9 a resolution he authored asking Negros Power to explain within 10 days “why it continued to collect the Reinvestment Fund for Sustainable Capital Expenditures (RFSC) shown in the monthly billings of power consumers.”

“The RFSC, created under Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Resolution number 20 series of 2009, allows electric cooperatives’ (ECs) to collect capital contributions from their members-consumers to amortize or pay-off debts associated with the expansion, rehabilitation or upgrading of the existing electric power system in accordance with the ERC approved capital expenditure (CAPEX) plan,” the statement explained.

“Negros Power is not an EC but a private stock corporation registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and, therefore, the inclusion of the RFSC charge of Php 0.1518 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) raised legal and ethical question,” the resolution reportedly postulated.

Roel Castro, Negros Power President and CEO, replied:

“We received the official copy of the resolution. Negros Power will address the issues raised by Councilor Gamboa at the right and appropriate time. But for the comfort of the consumers and the public, Negros Power’s rates are in accordance with the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) granted by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) and all regulatory rules and laws.“

According to Gamboa’s statement, the resolution pointed out that “the RFSC in the consumers’ monthly billings is an item authorized only for ECs under ERC Resolution # 20, not with Negros Power which is a private stock corporation”.

“The collection of the RFSC without a corresponding regulatory provision could unduly burden consumers,” Gamboa was quoted as saying.

“Gamboa added that he crafted a resolution in response to said outcries over the oppressive inflation hounding the majority Bacolodnons worsened by the rising electricity cost and, likewise, in support of concerns that the privatized power sector lacks public consultation,” the statement further said.

Gamboa is the lone opposition candidate who prevailed and prevented the total domination of Bacolod’s politics by the Albee Benitez-Greg Gasataya juggernaut last May elections. That’s no small feat!

He has served for four terms (12 years) as councilor, but fell short on his vice-mayor run in 2022. During his term, he has consistently projected himself as a champion of consumer welfare, particularly in the power and water sectors. His popularity from his pro-consumer stance undoubtedly played a key role last May in propelling him to a remarkable win, and probably another three-term run, as city councilor.

Owing to his credibility on consumer issues, his eloquence and persuasiveness, the City Council looked beyond party lines and readily approved the resolution he authored questioning Negros Power’s continued collection of the RFSC.

The RFSC is nothing new. The EPIRA Law, passed on June 8, 2001, mandated the unbundling of power rates. Pre-EPIRA, the power bill contained only two items – the Power Cost and the Purchased Power Adjustment. After EPIRA, the bill was itemized into Generation, Transmission and Distribution, Supply & Metering (DSM) Charges.

The DSM Charges consist of Operations and Maintenance Expenses (OPEX), Payroll and Other Revenue Item (ORI), CAPEX (or Reinvestment Fund) and Debt Service.

On September 23, 2009, ERC issued Resolution No. 20-09, entitled "A Resolution Adopting the Rules for Setting the Electric Cooperatives' Wheeling Rates (RSEC-WR). The Gamboa-authored resolution credited this resolution as having “created” the RFSC.
This is not true. There was no animal called RFSC prior to July 6, 2011, but there has been a reinvestment charge since EPIRA’s passage in 2001.

ERC Res. No. 20-09 did not “create” the RFSC. The resolution simply introduced the “Members' Contribution for Capital Expenditure (MCC)” fund to replace the Reinvestment Fund and Debt Service components of the DSM Charges under the EPIRA tariff regime.

“The intent of the RSEC-WR in translating Reinvestment Fund into MCC is to recognize the fact that said MCC Charge indeed represents contributions from the member-consumers for the expansion, rehabilitation and upgrading of the ECs' distribution system which should be reflected in their bills for greater transparency,” the ERC stated.

It was only on July 6, 2011 that the ERC, by virtue of ERC Res. No. 14-11, renamed the MCC as the RFSC.

And contrary to what Gamboa claimed, there has been no “rising electricity cost” from Negros Power; Negros Power’s rates have been consistently lower than the rates of most ECs in Negros, Panay and Guimaras Islands.

The EPIRA mandated the privatization of the power industry. Though privatized, the power industry is a heavily regulated industry. Nothing can happen without the ERC’s express approval. Before the ERC issues any directive affecting rates, the ERC diligently conducts public hearings. Gamboa’s concern that “the privatized power sector lacks public consultation” has no basis.

Since Negros Power assumed responsibility over Ceneco operations on August 1, 2024, the private utility embarked on a massive more than P2 billion Five-Year Rehabilitation and Modernization Plan, the effects of which are now being felt gradually by consumers, in terms of fewer and shorter power interruptions.

If Negros Power took pains to prepare and implement a more than P2 billion five-year power systems improvement plan, perhaps it has also conducted same due diligence in other areas of its operation, particularly the financial aspect, no?●

14/07/2025

Canada Invests in Accelerating Climate and Disaster Resilience in the Philippines

The Government of Canada is investing more than PhP 1 billion in grant financing to promote integrated climate action and disaster resilience in the Philippines.

During the Philippines-Canada Partnership Forum held on July 10 at The Westin Manila in Mandaluyong City, the Embassy of Canada highlighted its portfolio of over CAD$30 million (approx. PhP 1.2 billion) dedicated to fund initiatives on climate adaptation and resilience.

“Canada’s substantial contributions to disaster risk reduction and climate resilience in the Philippines are a fitting example of the growing breadth and depth of Canada’s bilateral partnership with the Philippines,” said Ambassador of Canada to the Philippines David Hartman.

Close to 200 government leaders, development partners, the private sector, civil society organizations, and members of the diplomatic community attended the forum to discuss solutions to the growing threats posed by natural disasters and climate change.

“Canada is working with Canadian, local and international organizations to unlock financing for climate adaptation, and implement locally-led nature-based solutions in vulnerable communities,” Ambassador Hartman added.
The grant financing also supports ecosystem restoration, including through natural capital accounting, and assisting local governments to assess, plan for, and implement disaster resilience and climate adaptation measures. The financing also seeks to improve integrated water resource management in partnership with the private sector.

“Canada’s investments target the needs of communities across the three main island regions while tackling the differential impacts of climate change on vulnerable and marginalized populations, including women, girls, and Indigenous Peoples,” Ambassador Hartman explained.

By working with national and local governments and coordinating with other development actors, these initiatives seek to contribute to the priorities and objectives set by the Government of the Philippines, consistent with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.●

14/07/2025

'Coffee Festival to Bolster Local Industry in Negros Oriental'

The 3rd Dumaguete Coffee Festival is expected to ramp up the local coffee industry and bolster sales and market opportunities in Negros Oriental, an official of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said Monday.

Maribel Sumanoy, DTI-Negros Oriental division chief for SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and DTI Region 7 focal person for coffee, said the festival will promote coffee farmers, business entities, and individuals working in the industry.

“It’s an activity to help promote our coffee industry and serves as a marketing platform for coffee farmers, coffee shops, retail suppliers of coffee equipment, and other stakeholders to gather together in one setting,” Sumanoy said in an interview.

Twenty-five exhibitors will be taking part in the Coffee Festival scheduled July 17 to 23 at the Atrium of Robinsons Place shopping mall in the capital city of Dumaguete.

The first Coffee Festival only had 10 exhibitors while the second, which was held last year, had 22, Sumanoy said.

This is an indication that the coffee industry in the province is picking up and there are more industry players who strive to compete with national and some at the international markets, she added.

The event highlights three competitions for brewers, latte art, and the barista challenge.● (Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA)

14/07/2025

Gov’t to Consult Farmers Nationwide to Curb Rice Price Manipulation

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to hold consultations with farmers and lawmakers in a bid to strengthen the government’s response to unscrupulous rice traders.

The move came after Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered on-the-ground consultations in preparation for the deliberations of House Bill No. 1 or the RICE Act that seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law and restore regulatory powers to the National Food Authority (NFA).

Tiu Laurel said consultations would help the government understand the challenges faced by farmers, especially amid allegations that the P20 rice program is causing a decline in palay prices.

“Some farmers claim that private traders are blaming the P20 rice program for the drop in prices. That’s simply not true,” he said.

Tiu Laurel said the program, dubbed “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na”, is aimed at clearing aging rice stocks from NFA warehouses to allow more procurement of palay from farmers, at prices better than those offered by private traders.

“Selling rice at PHP20 per kilo helps decongest NFA warehouses, allowing us to buy more palay from farmers. Every bag of rice sold at PHP20 frees up space for two sacks of palay, which we can purchase at better prices than what private traders offer,” he said.

Unlike traders' prices, which plunged to as low as PHP7 per kg. in some areas according to the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), the NFA’s buying price ranges from a minimum of PHP17 per kg. for fresh and wet palay and up to PHP24 per kg. for clean and dry.

As of June 30, the NFA has already bought 149 percent of its first-semester procurement target, pushing warehouse capacity to its limits.

Among those ordered to lead the nationwide consultations are DA Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro, National Rice Industry Development Program Undersecretary Chris Morales, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson, and Food Terminal Inc. president Joseph Lo.

Tiu Laurel said the proposed RICE Act, endorsed by former House Speaker Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez as the chamber’s top priority measure, aims to rein in profiteering and hoarding in the rice industry.

“No less than House Speaker Martin Romualdez has endorsed the proposed Rice Act, designating it as House Bill No. 1,” he said.

“This underscores the House of Representatives' strong commitment to correcting flaws in the Rice Tariffication Law, loopholes that have been exploited by unscrupulous traders to the detriment of our farmers.”● (Stephanie Sevillano/PNA)

▪︎▪︎ IRRI photo