Agri students set to
visit Neg.Occ.

The Agribusiness Management students of the University of the Philippines Los Baños are visiting Negros Occidental today and tomorrow for an agriprenuership and ecotour arranged by the Association of Negros Producers.

Forty-four graduating students with their professors and tour coordinators will also have a forum on “The Changing Landscapes of Negros,” which will include talks on enterprise development by Marivic Rio; sustainable agriculture by Pam Henares of Buro-Buro Farm, and healthy eating by Dr. Albert Jo of Rapha Valley, a press release from ANP yesterday said.

The group will then take trips to Herbanext’s Herbal Farm and the Alter Trade factory in Bago City. On their last day, they will tour the VMC compound and learn about integrated farming at the Penalosa Farm, to be followed by a special organic lunch, the press release added.

The tour aims to expose the students to the entire value supply chain of the food agriculture industry highlighting sustainable farming and the business aspect of agriculture, it said.*

REPOSTED from DAILY STAR

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/February/10/people.htm

As a gesture of support to the Chinese fire brigade communities, it also had the Chamber lion dance at Negros Showroom Lacson on Saturday, January 21, and the Amity dragon dance at Negros Showroom Central Citywalk on Monday, January 23.  Both dances were enjoyed by the shoppers and passers-by.

The NEGROS SHOWROOM joined the celebrations of the Chinese New Year with the dragon theme in the central display at Negros Showroom Lacson, and in the window display at Negros Showroom Central Citywalk Robinsons Place.

As a gesture of support to the Chinese fire brigade communities, it also had the Chamber lion dance at Negros Showroom Lacson on Saturday, January 21, and the Amity dragon dance at Negros Showroom Central Citywalk on Monday, January 23.  Both dances were enjoyed by the shoppers and passers-by.



The NEGROS SHOWROOM  of the Association of Negros Producers (ANP) finally opened a branch in the very new, very in Central Citywalk Robinsons Place Bacolod last November 26, 2011.

The ribbon was cut by VIP Senator Serge Osmena III, Bacolod Congressman Dr. Anthony Golez, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio “Bing” Leonardia, ANP’s beloved father, the now GSIS Chairman Daniel “Bitay” Lacson, Jr. with Lin-ay sang Negros title holder Ms. Anna Marie Malayo. Loyal partners and friends of the ANP were also in attendance.

The NEGROS SHOWROOM at the Central Citywalk is open 10am to 8pm everyday. It showcases products that are the Best of Negros, with food items, natural and organics, gift/ pasalubong items, furniture, houseware, garments, bags and jewelry.

This branch of teh NEGROS SHOWROOM has hip, fun and colorful items best suited for the younger mall-going market and trendy yuppies. The furniture selections offers pieces fitted to smaller home spaces and townhouse units.

For more information, call 433.37.28 (Sales & Marketing Manager) or 441.01.42 ( Sales Supervisor).

The Association of Negros Producers (ANP), headed by its President Josephine Locsin (Tumandok Crafts) and the VP for Advocacy, Cris Villacin (Crisvil Creations), started a fund drive among its members and visitors in the Negros Showroom to raise funds and collect goods for the victims of Typhoon Sendong.

135 relief packs placed in recycled katsa bags were sent to the victims in Sibulan Negros Oriental. The packs contained canned goods, noodles, biscuits, coffee, toiletries, rice, slippers and used clothes.

“Our advocacy to help is not limited to our own provincemates. We also have ANP members who are from Negros Oriental, and while they have been spared from the wrath of Sendong, we sympathize with the others in their nearby communities who have been left homeless, and some even orphaned.” Ms. Locsin said. “The relief goods are sent with our most fervent prayers for their speedy recovery and rebuilding of their lives”.

REGULAR HOLIDAYS

January  1,  (Sunday)                                 -                  New Years Day

April 5,       (Thursday)                               -                  Maundy Thursday

April 6,         (Friday)                                   -                  Good Friday

April 9,        (Monday)                                 -                  Araw ng Kagitingan

May 1,        (Tuesday)                                  -                  Labor Day

June 12,       (Tuesday)                                -                  Independence Day

August 27,     (Monday)                                -                  National Heroes Day

November 30, (Friday)                                -                  Bonifacio Day

December 25, (Tuesday)                              -                  Christmas Day

December 30, (Sunday)                                 -                  Rizal Day

SPECIAL NON – WORKING DAYS

January 23, (Monday)                                    -                  Chinese New year

August 21,    (Tuesday)                                  -                  Ninoy Aquino Day

November 1, (Thursday)                               -                  All Saints Day

November 2, (Friday)                                    -                  Additional Special (non-working day)

December 31, (Monday)                                -                  Last Day of the Year

SPECIAL HOLIDAY

February 25, (Saturday)                                -                  EDSA Revolution Anniversary

Announcement for the Proclamations declaring national holidays in observance of Eid’l Fitr and Eid’l Adh, no schedule yet.  It will be promulgated by the Department of Labor and Employment.

For the benefit of all, please be aware of the following pay rules for the mentioned holidays as implemented by DOLE.

1.     If an employee is not working on regular holidays, he or she is entitled to 100% of his regular daily rate, “provided he or she was present, or was on leave with pay on the workday immediately preceding the holiday”.

Meanwhile, if an employee works on a regular holiday that also falls on his or her rest day, he or she is entitled to 200% of the daily rate for the first eight hours and an additional 30% for additional hours.

2.     On special non –working days, the following shall apply:

a.     If the day is unworked , the “non work, no pay” principle shall apply unless there is a favorable company policy, practice or collective bargaining agreement  (CBA) granting payment on a special day even if the day is unworked.

b.     If worked, the employee shall be paid an additional 30% of the daily rate of 100% on the first eight hours of work.  In excess of 8 hours, he or she will be paid an additional 30% of the hourly rate on said day.

c.     If the day falls on the employee’s rest day and is worked, he/she will be paid an additional 50% of the daily rate of 100% on the first 8 hours, he/she shall be paid an additional 30%of the hourly rate.

The Association of Negros Producers’ (ANP) Negros Showroom is a national icon when it comes to indigenous ingenuity and creativity. No traveling and home-based visitor should miss this part of the Island if only to see what a gathering of 15 Negrense ladies metamorphosed into a 141-member power house. They summoned prayers to move the Lord’s Hand in alleviating the plight of fellow Negrenses suffering a tragedy born out of a monocrop economy. The Lord heard their cry. To date, ANP continues to hit the export market, despite odds, giving jobs, livelihood and opportunity to thousands of Negrenses lead a life of decency.

Of late, ANP’s Showroom along Lacson Street unveiled a tourism desk described by their newly elected President, Miss Jojie Locsin, as a humble beginning and a contribution to the Negros Island’s tourism efforts. Miss Locsin “chuckled” when reminded to call it an “office” instead. “It is a table!” she laughingly retorted. It is a table but surrounding it is a concept, which is “very ANP!” somebody quipped. Its four feet are solidly grounded on the Philippine Tourism mandate as “an engine of investment, employment, growth and national development”. Somewhere above is a television set running for the entire duration of the store hours showing the Negros Island as a destiny (See Photos). It was not set up to impress but reading materials are there to serve 80 percent of the Showroom’s clients – tourists.

“An engine of investment, employment, growth and national development”, are ambitious semantics but with the involvement of expert marketeer like Jojo Vito, the tourism desk is a proud forefront of sustainable tourism patterned after the unwavering strength of ANP itself. It is not a one-day activity. Jojie Locsin – Jojo Vito tandem know what they are doing, they knew exactly what tourism is all about but like a spark, the desk is but a start. Correct vision and idealism must be fanned and cultivated until the spark starts to glow, soon other bits and pieces of wood are gathered and a bonfire is set. The excitement is afire!

Miss Jojie Locsin explained that the vision is not just Negros Occidental but the entire Island which included the Oriental side. After all, they are called Association of “Negros” Producers which does not subdivide the Island to the Occidental and the Oriental. The tourism desk was conceived as promotion for the “One Island” concept. Eventually, Miss Locsin said, she will post a big map of the Negros Island where arrows are pointing to collection of items manufactured in every City and Municipality and an inventory of destinations will be bannered offering ANP’s Showroom clients and the general public a tower to see the vast stretches of Island in one sitting.
At the forefront where ANP’s Showroom Tourism Desk is stationed, clients and visitors are transformed as travelers and not wayward wanderers. It is best to travel if destinations are known. New ways of looking at these destinations must be understood by travelers. Such vision starts at the forefront.*