Belmonte, Drilon back
sugarcane act passage
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Members of the  Sugar Alliance of the Philippines   and congressmen from sugar-producing provinces met  recently with House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and Senate President Franklin Drilon as part of a stepped-up lobby for the  passage of the  Sugarcane Industry Development Act.

“Belmonte and Drilon assured us of their support and said they will tackle the bill when Congress resumes its sessions next month,” Enrique Rojas,  National Federation of Sugarcane Planters president, said yesterday.

The bill was passed by the Lower House on second reading before it adjourned and it is hoped that it will be approved on third  and final reading by August, its author Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said earlier.

Army finds marijuana plantation

Army soldiers and paramilitary troopers, on visibility patrol, discovered a marijuana plantation in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Friday.

A police team that responded to information relayed to them by 12th Infantry Battalion, confirmed the existence of the marijuana plantation in Purok Abaca, Sitio Pataan, Brgy. Mailum, Bago City.

However, Supt. Arnel Arpon, Bago City police chief, said its cultivator is nowhere to be found.

Yolanda victims in north
to get P26.9M assistance

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. will lead government officials today in the distribution of additional cash assistance for shelter rehabilitation from the Concern Worldwide for victims of super typhoon Yolanda in northern Negros, a press release from the Capitol said.

Concern Worldwide, an Irish humanitarian organization that committed to help more than 11,000 Negrense families, whose houses were destroyed by the strongest typhoon ever to hit the country in November last year, is providing P26,906,421 through a funding agreement it entered into with the Provincial Government, the press release said.

Of the total commitment of Concern Worldwide, P3,296,421 is intended to the rehabilitation of the rock causeway/walkway in the coastal barangay of Molocaboc in Sagay City, Provincial Planning and Development Office head Marlin Pellejo-Sanogal, concurrent secretariat chair of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said.