Thousands turn out
for BacoLaodiat fest
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said the annual BacoLaodiat Festival that kicked off yesterday once again drew thousands of people, including tourists, which will be another boost to the local economy.

“I was informed that some of the hotels are fully booked,” the mayor said, also noting that the streets where the festival is being held were packed with people.

Drawing visitors to the city for the festival will entice others to visit the city again in the future, which will bode well for tourism, he said.

The Filipino-Chinese community in Bacolod City yesterday lauded the city government’s support for the celebration of the BacoLaodiat Festival and for making the Chinatown Center one of the icons of the city.

Now on its 7th year, the BacoLaodiat Festival gives significance to the Chinese New Year, marked by all Chinese communities all over the world with a series of events and activities.

Former Bacolod councilor and Land Transportation Office NCR chief Ricardo “Cano” Tan, said the development of the Chinatown Center is a welcome, especially because the city will not have to spend for its development.

Central Negros Electric Cooperative power rates have dropped by 10 centavos per kilowatt hour in the month of January, CENECO general manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. said yesterday.

He said from P9.25/kWhr last December 2011, CENECO’s new residential average rate for the month of January will be P9.15/kWhr, inclusive of the 12 percent Value Added Tax..

The decrease of 10 centavos from the previous power rate was due to the decrease in the Generation System Charge of 0.0644, decrease in the Transmission System Charge of 0.0668, decrease in the Systems Loss Charge of 0.0091, increase on the Lifeline Rate Subsidy of 0.0074, and an increase in the Mandatory Rate Reduction of 0.0026, he said.