Remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers coursed through banks grew year-on-year by 6.1 percent in July to reach $1.7 billion, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said yesterday in a BSP press release.

For the first seven months of the year, OFW remittances expanded by 6.3 percent to $11.4 billion, with remittances from land-based and sea-based workers rising by 4.3 percent and 14.1 percent, respectively.

The steady inflow of fund transfers from overseas Filipinos despite the difficult conditions overseas could be explained partly by the sustained demand for Filipino manpower, the press release said.

Negros group urges public:
Push for better EPIRA law

Filipinos urgently deserve a better electric industry law to genuinely provide affordable electricity to all citizens, a press release from the Negrenses for Noynoy Movement said.

The public needs an electric power industry with fair competition to protect public welfare and welcome investors to support national development based on equitable growth, sustainability and fairness to all sectors, it also said.

Ten years since the passage of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, its promise of affordable and accessible electricity to all Filipinos, and economic growth through privatization  is now widely perceived  as a failure, the  press release said, adding that the country suffers from the highest electric power rates in Asia   to the detriment of millions of consumers, especially the low income groups or the poor, the press release said.

‘Firehouse’ opens today

Firehouse Café will hold its opening and blessing at 10 a.m. today at La Salle Avenue in Bacolod City with Msgr. Noli Que, parish priest of the Queen of Peace Church as the officiating priest, proprietor Grace Go, said yesterday.

Firehouse will serve meals and desserts with back ribs as one of its specialties, Go said. They serve food and delicacies at P60 and are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, she also said.

Among their guests are representatives and owners of Lima Hollow Blocks, Plastic Supply, and members of the Bacolod Hardware Merchant Association, she added.*LTG