MANILA – Expectations on the approval of Greece’s bail-out plan along with Chinese monetary officials’ decision to cut reserve requirement ratio lifted investors’ sentiment and buoyed the peso against the dollar yesterday.

The local unit gained P0.04 to a dollar after finishing at P42.575 from last Friday’s P42.615 close.

It opened stronger at P42.49 today from the previous trading day’s P42.66 level.

Allied Bank launches
4th branch in Bacolod

The Allied Banking Corporation opened yesterday its fourth branch in Bacolod City with company officials, clients, and staff joining the event.

Located at Hilado Street, in front of the Apollo Restaurant, the new branch is the 8th Allied Bank in Negros Occidental and brings to 288 the total number of its domestic branches and offices of the company.

Rafael Sison Jr., Allied Bank FSVP and Head of the Retail Banking Group, cited the support extended to the event by their sister companies from the Lucio Tan Group of Companies, such as the Philippine Airlines, Asian Alcohol, Asia Brewery - Tanduay, and the Victorias Milling Company.

SP, buyers agree
on sheep sale

The Committee on Provincial Livestock Management and Dispersal of Negros Occidental and prospective buyers agreed on the sale of the provincial government’s sheep from Australia at P16,000 for females and P25,000 formales at a public hearing at the Provincial Capitol yesterday, Dr. Renante Decena, provincial veterinarian, said.

Decena said the prices were decided on the consensus of the buyers and the committee members.

He said board Member Miller Serondo, chairpersonof the Committee on Agriculture of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, will endorse the ordinance for the establishmentthe Negros First Ranch and the sale of farm produce today for the final reading and approval of the SP members.