It was a subdued festival opening for Sagay City yesterday as residents mourned the death of Gov. Joseph Marañon, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Gene Noel Junatas, and Barangay Makiling Capt. Antonio Rosellosa Jr.

The governor passed away after a lingering illness, Junatas died with his mother and sister in a car accident March 8, while Makiling died Thursday from head injuries he incurred when the motorcycle he was riding on with a friend fell on its side along the Cadiz City highway after trying to avoid hitting an eight-year-old girl.

In his welcome remarks during the festival opening yesterday, Vice Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva requested the audience to pause for a moment of prayer for Marañon, Junatas and Rosellosa.

Even Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, guest speaker at the event, started his message with a tribute to the late governor whom he referred to as his friend, mentor and guide. His visit to Sagay, Yap said, is his way of honoring the late governor.

Yap also expressed his condolences to the Marañon family whom he said has been very supportive of his programs in the Agriculture department.

The governor had shared with him in one of their talks, his dream of seeing Negros Occidental as an “organic province” and pushed for a modern and comprehensive irrigation program that would increase farmers’ yield, Yap said.

The DA Secretary led the groundbreakings of the Northern Negros Agro-Industrial Export Processing Zone and the Sagay City Slaughterhouse and visited the Sagay Muscovado Sugar Mill.

The 200-hectare export processing zone in Brgy. Paraiso, will be equipped with class A engineering facilities and will initially cater to finished products like aquaculture, fishing and sugar-related food products while the slaughterhouse will be designed following international standards to maximize its capacity to slaughter at least 1,000 hogs daily.

The muscovado sugar mill, a donation from Japan Agriculture-Okinanawa, will be used for making organic muscovado sugar and will be operated by the Organic Products in the Island of Negros Multipurpose Cooperative.

Visiting these project sites in Sagay, Yap complimented the city government for its pioneering effort in tapping available resources to increase its agricultural production.

He said the export processing zone project in the city is the first of its kind in Negros Occidental and upon completion of its world-class slaughterhouse, Sagay will be able to capitalize on its growing poultry and livestock industry.

But while the Agriculture department continually supports the sugar farmers in the effort to modernize the industry, Yap said Negros is doing the right thing by moving towards organic agriculture with emphasis on high value agriculture economy that eventually, will raise the income of the farmers.*NAB

back to top