Sugar Industry Task Force formed in Neg. Occ.

BACOLOD CITY -- Governor Isidro Zayco issued Executive Order No.09-005 creating the Sugar Industry Task Force and designated Board Member Enrique Miguel "Guding" Lacson, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan committee on food security and Adolfo Mangao of the committee on agriculture as chair and vice chair, respectively.

The task force will soon write President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to ask her approval on the utilization of the Special Amelioration Fund (SAF) to purchase rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) to be distributed to the farm workers.

The creation of the task force, Zayco said, is in line with the warning of Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael "Lito" Coscolluela of an early onset of the off-milling season in the sugar industry referred to as “tiempos muerto” or dead season due to low cane supply.

Due to the reported low sugar production, milling is expected to end earlier than usual this year and may extend by 2 to 3 more months. The spiraling cost of fuel and fertilizers, coupled by the low price of sugar last year is expected to make its effect felt this dead season. The situation may be aggravated by the global financial crisis and may result to widespread hunger and displacement of workers in sugar producing areas in the province, Zayco stated in his order.

Zayco has called for a coordinated move between the government and the sugar industry leaders to mitigate the effects of an early onset and longer dead season and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through Lacson has heeded the call of the governor by initiating a preliminary consultation with planters and representatives of the 3 major sugar federations in the province namely, the Confederation of Sugar Producers, National Federation of Sugar Planters and the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines and that the sugar leaders are in agreement with the proposed creation of the multi-sectoral task force.

Members of the task force are Board Members Nehemias de la Cruz, Patrick Lacson, Vivian Saratan of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Raymund Montinola (CONFED), Alfredo Reyes (UNIFED), Crisencio Abunda Jr. (NFSP), Liane Garcia (PSWDO), Randy Ronquillo (WAUP), Allan Gozon (DALO) and Rev. Fr. Aniceto Buenafe - Director of the Social Action Center.

The task Force will formulate strategies and activities aimed to mitigate the effects of the early onset and prolonged dead season in the sugar industry, to serve as an advisory committee to the SP concerned on the matters pertaining to the sugar industry and the prevailing conditions affecting it, perform other tasks and functions that the Office of the Governor might direct it to do in relation to the concern of the sugar industry and to propose to the Sanggunian concerned in accordance with the accounting and auditing rules and regulations, budgetary allocations for the program and activities to address the needs of the sugar industry.