Bizmen, senators upbeat
on economy of Neg. Occ.
BY CARLA GOMEZ

MAKATI CITY – Senators and business leaders at the opening of the 28th Negros Trade Fair at the Glorietta Activity Center here last night said they were upbeat about the economy of Negros Occidental and came to show their support for the province.

Joining Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. at the cutting of the ribbon to open the fair were Senate President Franklin Drilon, senators Serge Osmeña, Grace Poe, Cynthia Villar and Edgardo Angara Jr., business tycoon Jaime Zobel de Ayala, and Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Puyat.

Zobel said he was delighted to have the Negros Trade Fair at Glorietta to celebrate Negros products and food, and to showcase them to the people of Metro Manila.

5 senators back
Negrenses vs. oil price disparity
BY CARLA GOMEZ

MAKATI CITY – Five senators are taking up the cudgels for Negrenses against the oil price disparity that has left Negros Occidental with higher fuel prices compared to Cebu and Metro Manila.

Senators Grace Poe, Serge Osmeña and Nancy Binay questioned Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla on the fuel price disparity at the DOE budget hearing at the Senate yesterday.

Poe has filed a resolution seeking a Senate inquiry on the disparity, which Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Sonny Angara, at the 28th Negros Trade Fair Governor’s Night at the Glorietta Activity Center last night, said they will also support.

DOTC to evaluate Bing’s proposals
on enhanced air travel to Bacolod 

Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya has directed his planning team to evaluate the proposals of Bacolod Rep. Evelio “Bing” Leonardia that are intended to boost air travel to the city and has also assigned his legislative liaison staff to coordinate with the congressman’s office for the evaluation.

Leonardia and Abaya met Monday at the DOTC office in Manila on the solon’s proposals to extend the runway, expand the terminal of the Bacolod-Silay Airport, and to reopen the old airport in Bacolod.

“We used to have only six flights a day, now we have 17,” Leonardia told Abaya to justify his proposals. “As a major city of the Philippines, we also need to prepare the airport for the bigger planes used in international flights so we can get a share of the projected 10-million tourists by 2016,” he also said, in explaining the need to extend the runway.