GMA lauded for sugar industry resurgence

Manila -- The sugar industry found an ally and staunch supporter in President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with her administration's programs and policies that resulted to sustained production gains, a representative from the small planters group recently said.

Preciosa Maturan, 2008 Gawad Saka awardee, lauded the outgoing president for ensuring the welfare of thousand of sugar farmers across the country, saying that the resurgence that the industry is currently experiencing is largely due to the policy considerations extended by the Arroyo administration.

Maturan recently gave testimonial on the positive impact of programs implemented by the Department of Agriculture during a Retrospective Program for PGMA, along with other farmers from the country, including Jose Maria Zabaleta, chairman of the San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. who talked on biofuels and renewable energy.

In her testimony, Maturan said the industry attained surplus production for seven consecutive crop years starting 2002.

"In fact, during crop year 2007-2008, the sugar industry attained a production volume of 2.45 million metric tons – the highest production volume the Philippine has achieved in 25 years," she stressed.

Maturan also attributed the industry's steady growth to PGMA's legislative initiatives, particularly the Biofuels Law and Renewable Energy Law, which, she claimed, have encouraged additional sources of income to sugar farmers and promoted rural development while, at the same time, responding to the challenges posed by climate change.

She also cited DA's policy initiatives, through former Secretary Arthur Yap, which increased the competiveness of the industry such as the modification of sugar's World Trade Organization Bound tariff from 50 percent to 80 percent and the transfer of sugar from the temporary exclusion list to the sensitive list in the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.

Maturan also noted the full government support for the retention of sugar tariffs beyond 2010.

She also reiterated the industry's appreciation to PGMA for the issuance of Executive Order 285 which curbed technical smuggling of sugar in the guise of premixes and the Presidential Memo Order 850 on the sugar counter-trade program that allowed the Philippines to fill the additional volume of the U.S. quota.

"Millions of sugar farmers in the country, including their families, will remain grateful to President Arroyo for her trust in the industry," Maturan said, adding the she will always be considered a champion of sugar farmers.

source: pia.gov.ph