Barangay Romirang in Isabelawas hit by a twister like this.*

A tornado hit seven houses and uprooted six electrical posts and trees at about 3 p.m. yesterday in Isabela, Negros Occidental, police said. Unlike the tornado that struck in E.B. Magalona and Silay in previous months, the twister that hit Brgy. Romirang, Isabela was accompanied by the raining of ice, which lasted for several minutes, PO1 Roberto Bitoon of the Isabela Police Station, said.

Bito-on said a classroom in the barangay school was also slightly damaged.

Three of the seven houses were destroyed and four were damaged. No one was injured, the police also said.

'SRA projected price
for sugar too low'
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Sugar leaders yesterday called Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela's projection of an P820 per Lkg sugar composite price for crop year 2007-2008 way too low. The SRA must step up moves to stop sugar smuggling to prevent prices from sliding, they must be kept above P900 to 1,000 per Lkg, they said.

The sugar leaders are also opposing the proposed allocation of 15 percent of the country's sugar for the world market stressing that the Philippine Sugar Alliance is proposing that it be kept at 8 percent.

Coscolluela said the SRA will have the final figures on the country's current sugar oversupply today, which will be used as the basis for the Sugar Board's coming out with Sugar Order No. 1 that will set the sugar allocations for crop year 2007-2008

Dengue death
toll rises to 39
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Dengue has hit 3,549 patients and killed 39 in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City this year, government reports showed yesterday.

Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Luisa Efren, said 27 deaths were reported in 16 towns and cities of Negros Occidental with four each in Hinobaan and Sagay City, three in Bago City, two each in Kabankalan, San Carlos and Cadiz cities, and one each in Don Salvador Benedicto, Valladolid, Ilog, Talisay City, Pontevedra, Silay City, Himamaylan City, Manapla, Esclante City and EB Magalona. In Bacolod City 12 deaths from dengue have been reported this year, City Health officer Edgardo Estrella said.

However, both Efren and Estrella said the number of dengue cases in the past three weeks have been decreasing.