HRANO, PCAN SAY
Candle lighting rites set
to mourn AyalaLand loss
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental and the Philippine Contractors Association of Negros will light candles at the steps of the Negros Occidental provincial Capitol in Bacolod City at 6 p.m. today to “mourn the death” of the AyalaLand investment in Bacolod City.

Other Bacolod and Negros Occidental business groups are also joining the candle-lighting protest to mourn the loss of the AyalaLand investment that would have brought billions of pesos and thousands of jobs to the province, Frank Carbon, Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry president, said.

In a statement that it sent out through text messages yesterday, HRANO called on Negrenses to join the candle-lighting rites at the steps of the Capitol today to mourn the pull-out of Ayala Land from developing the P7.7 hectare property at the back of the Capitol.

Soraya Jaafar-Golez, the wife of Bacolod Rep. Anthony Golez, took over the marital home they had shared in a private subdivision in Bacolod City Friday, and padlocked it following a temporary protection order granted by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 106.

PO2 Gilbert Alunan of Police Precinct 4 yesterday said he accompanied Mrs. Golez and her lawyer, Howard Calleja, to enforce the order at about 7:30 p.m.. Friday. The congressman was not there then.

They were accompanied by Mandalagan Barangay Captain Elvis Agsam and Quezon City Branch 106 Sheriff Ligaya Tupaz.

More businesses have opened in Bacolod since the implementation of the Revised Revenue Code in Bacolod City, Permits and Licensing Division head Vicente Petierre III said yesterday.

Petierre, citing official records from his office, said records show that more new businesses opened in Bacolod this year compared to last year before the New Tax Code was implemented, based on the records of the Permits and Licensing Division of Bacolod.

Petierre was commenting on the claims of Vladimir Gonzalez, businessman, and a prospective candidate for city official, that the implementation of the Code lacks consultation and is sending a wrong signal to investors because businessmen always see to it that the business climate should be predictable.