Even if it has not been completed yet, five business process outsourcing (BPO) and real estate consultancy companies signified interest in leasing space at the three- storey NEGROS FIRST Cyber Center at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod.

Provincial Administrator Enrique Pinongan yesterday disclosed that Accenture, Capstone Solutions Inc., Jones Lang La Salle Inc., C.B. Richard Ellis Inc. and Colliers International have communicated with the Provincial Capitol their intention to lease spaces at the Cyber Center.

This early, there are also 48 commercial companies interested in leasing a total of 104 commercial units at the Cyber Center, he added.

FARMERS ON CARP. Members of Task Force Mapalad (TFM) trooped to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Bacolod to call on DAR to speed up land distribution to farmers.* (Owen S. Bayog/NDB photo)

The family of transportation magnate Ricardo Yanson Sr. could be granted a permit in due time after the Supreme Court (SC) decision allowing the construction and sale of water facilities and the sale of the commodity as long as it would be able to render the necessary positive services to water concessionaires, a highly-reliable source close to the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) said. Yanson had requested a permit to build a water supply facility.

After two days ago, the Manila-based legal counsel of the Yanson family, argued in its behalf stating the reason why it should be given a permit to provide water for consumers in the city. The source said, it is highly likely that Yanson be given a permit to construct a water system, with its water source taken from the Bago River area and to sell water to water-strapped areas in Bacolod City.

MVP is flanked by NDB’s Arman Toga (left) and VDS’ Adriano Nemes after an exclusive presscon/discussion with some members of the provincial press from the Visayas, Mindanao and Luzon areas last Friday at Makati Shangri-la. *(PLDT/Smart photos)

[ DISCLAIMER: Opinions and reactions posted in this section do not necessarily reflect those of NDB and NDBers. - Arman Toga, moderator. ]

[7204] BACOLOD FUEL PRICE. Palihog forward this to people who can find a solution to the higher petroleum products in Bacolod, which is higher by 5 to 6 pesos per liter against Manila, Cebu, CDO, Davao. (09209521019)

[7203] BAKYAS BRIDGE. ARI NAMAN KO TAYTAY BAKYAS AREA. DULOM DULOM GID YA HO. WALA NA GID MAHIMO OTORIDAD TA? BASI MAY MILAGRO GAKATABO DALOM TAYTAY BAKYAS NGAA GUSTO GID NILA DULOM? (09166578432))

[7202] POP EXPLO. Bisan mag-ano pa si PNoy, mabudlayan siya magpa-uswag sang ekonomiya sang Pilipinas tungod sang population explosion. Ang halos tanan nga pungsod nagapanubo pagdamo sang ila populasyon samtang ang aton ginabalagan sang CBCP kay gusto nila magdako pa gid ang ila koleksiyon. (09186434854)

A BALLOON-LIKE BUBBLE BURSTING AT THE MOMENT. National newspapers screaming headlines Friday, June 14, were those PH stocks having plunged 6.8 percent after an earlier, ear-piercing claim before which hollered that the Philippine economy had, to say it mildly, jumped to 7.8 percent in the first quarter of this year, the biggest jump in Asia including over all leading other countries, Japan.

But we have known that the supposed overwhelming growth, would burst like a bubble pricked by a needle, because these are speculative investments put in place in the stock markets, as news items say, even denominated in dollars.

Renewable energy has had a long, creeping infancy. To blame are the relentless attacks by special interest groups protecting fossil fuels, such as petroleum and coal. Leading their arsenal of claims is that renewable energy is expensive and unreliable. I recall my professor in management school admonish us: Don't kill the baby! Don't abort an emerging and possibly good idea at the first smell of defect, which might be fixed with some tweaking, or time, as in the case of solar panels which requireeconomies of scale. And because the study of renewable energy is foiled early on, counter-arguments to its favor are frustrated as well. So rare are they that when I come across one, I sink my teeth into it like a rabid dog.

In a recent issue of OnEarth, an online magazine I subscribe to, author George Black shared data that indubitably cements the relationship between renewable energy and prosperity, and renewable energy and quality of life. Prosperity and quality of life may not necessarily be one and the same; the Philippines' newfound prosperity, it is argued, has no trickle-down effect to the masses, so that quality of life is not improved. I devote a chunk of my column to Mr. Black's dissertation so that those who have access to development funds, like the Dept. of Science and Technology, will not stop developing green technologies in the face of criticism, because renewable energy results in prosperity and good life. Black throws us some facts.

Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is a commitment made by some U.S. states to generate a portion of their electricity from renewable sources over time. RPS varies from state to state and can either be mandatory or voluntary. Critics accuse RPS as government meddling and contrary to the goal of prosperity. But the numbers say otherwise. For instance, on the subject of prosperity, of the 10 most prosperous states, eight have mandatory RPS and one has a voluntary RPS. Only Alaska has none, understandable because the state is, for now, rich in oil. At the other end of the spectrum, of the 10 poorest states, seven do not have an RPS. This debunks the position of scoffers. Green technology cannot be contra-prosperity.

Tourism brings cash to the economy, will flourish in Bacolod. Thus said Atty. John N. Orola, Jr, city administrator, duringthe tourism forum atthe city hall the other day, as part of the weeklong activities of Ang Paghanduraw, relative tothecommemoration ofthe 75th year aniversary of the signing of the charter of Bacolod City.

This is part of the tripartite events this June starting June 12 Philippine Independence day celebration, to the commemoration ofthe signing of the charter of Bacolod in June 18, and the Rizal’s Day on June 19 today. This is an ordinance celebrating three main events in June which is the Independence Day on June 12, the commemoration of the signing of the Bacolod’s Charter on June 18, and the birth anniversary of Dr. Jose Rizal on June 19, he said.

Orola said by conducting the tourism forum, they would like to impress upon the people that tourism, which is one of the major programs of the Leonardia administration, we will institutionalize what we have started many years ago.

One of the highlights during the commemoration of the 75th year anniversary celebration of the signing of Bacolod City’s charter was the declaration of top realty taxpayers for 1012 of Bacolod City.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia awarded the special citations to the top realty taxpayers: Ricardo Yanson Jr; Jerry Ong; Jacinto Palma; Belina Ong; and Tomas De Leon Jr.

While the top five corporate realty taxpayers for 2012 were SM Mega Holdings, Bacolod Commercial & Industrial Park, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., Dynasty Management & Development Corporation, and San Miguel Brewery, Inc.

The top five individual business taxpayers were Jose Maria Cajili, Ronald Teh, Ramon Kilayko, Manuel Po, and Alvin Yu.

Ms. Token Lizares, a widely popular chanteuse scored another smash hit when her students in the Token Lizares Music Studio dished out a sterling performance recently during the first recital of the school which was held at the L’ Fisher Hotel.

Leda Lu, a good mixture of beauty and song

Appropriately dubbed as an "Angel Without Wings," she aptly showed that she is not only a benefactor of the underprivileged and persons with disabilities but also a trainer par excellence! It is no wonder that her students performed as they did, as it is only a versatile impresario "that can bring out the talents" of budding performers.

(Since our initial articles on the 1st Recital of the Token Lizares Music Studio last week, we have already received 64 text messages and 28 e-mails from our friends in London, Beijing, Singapore, the United States, Japan, Bangkok and all over the country, wanting to know more about Ms. Lizares.

We advised them to log on the Negros Daily Bulletin website, www.ndb-online.com, as well as surf thru the website on the NDB "Outstanding Negrenses of 2010" where they can get further information on Ms. Lizares.