Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante has expressed interest in making Cadiz City a consistent source of workers or a future location for information technology and business process outsourcing jobs in the northern side of Negros Occidental, a press release from the Negros Occidental ICT Investments Program consultant said yesterday.

Local stakeholders recently attended the Northern Negros Information and Communications Technology Conference, which complemented last November’s Southern Negros ICT Conference held in Kabankalan City were initiated by the Office of Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. through the Negros Occidental ICT Investments Program with Jocelle Batapa-Sigue as consultant, the press release said.

UNDOC dismayed at VAT decision;
Warns of ‘highest form of protest’ 

The leaders of United Negros Drivers Operators Center yesterday said they were discontented with the decision of Malacañang in not lifting the 12 percent value-added tax on oil products.

UNDOC secretary general Jesse Ortega, however, said they did not ask President Benigno Aquino III to lift the 12 percent VAT, but asked him to, at least, reduce it to help local drivers.

“Reducing the VAT by at least 50 percent would be a big help for us, especially here in Negros Occidental where the oil price disparity is unexplainable,” Ortega said.

LGUs to have
coop officers

The House of Representatives approved on second reading a bill requiring the designation of a cooperative officer in local government units to ensure a safe and viable cooperative movement as well as an atmosphere that is conducive to growth, a press release from Congress said.

House Bill 5567 authored by Reps. Isidro Lico (Party-list, Ating Koop) and Jose Ping-ay (Party-list, COOP NATCCO), seeks the mandatory appointment of a cooperative officer in every municipal, city and provincial local government units.

It amends Book III, Title V, Section 487, Article XVII of Republic Act 7160 or the "Local Government Code of 1991", the press release said.