Gov. Alfredo Marañon yesterday highlighted  the campaign of  Negros Occidental  to go organic in his presentation on the  annual Panaad sa Negros Festival before a panel of judges tapped to choose the best tourism-oriented local government units and best tourism event in 2013, at the Diliman Preparatory School, in Quezon City.

Marañon said the two-decades old Panaad is a potent vehicle to promote the province's food security programs centered on organic agriculture, a Capitol press release said.

Negros Occidental, Davao, Capiz and Laguna, were  nominated for the Best Tourism-oriented LGU in the provincial category of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines Pearl Awards that will culminate on October in Legaspi City, Albay.

‘Unemployment slightly up’

Unemployment rate in the country slightly rose but underemployment has improved, the National Statistics Office’s July 2013 Labor Force Survey results showed yesterday.

According to the survey, posted at the NSO website, unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent in July this year, compared to 7 percent last year,

This meant that out of the 64.468 million population aged 15 years and above, jobless Filipinos now account for 3.002 million.

Wage hike hearing set

Labor Director for Region 6, Ponciano Ligutom, yesterday said a hearing on the wage hike petitions of workers in Western Visayas will be held on September 30 in Bacolod City.

Ligutom said they will also hold a consultation with the members of the tourism, business process outsourcing firms, trade and service and sugar sectors on the impending increase in wages.

If all parties agree to the pay hike petition, it will be implemented before the year ends, he said.