Bacolod City – As reorganization in the Sugar Regulatory Administration looms within this week, an official of the United Sugar Producers Federation pushed for a Negrense to lead the SRA, following sugar importation mess.
Negros Island produces 65 percent of sugar in the country.
UNIFED president Manuel Lamata stressed that no one knows the sugar industry “better than someone from Negros.”
“We are urging the President to nominate the new appointee and hopefully, it should come from Negros,” Lamata said.
The top post at the SRA has been vacant following the resignation of Hermenegildo Serafica, following controversy over the illegal issuance of an importation order for 300,000 MT of sugar.
“We are going to reorganize the SRA and as soon as that’s done — that should be done this week, before the end of this week,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in an interview with reporters during the Pinaslakas Vaccination event recently.
Lamata said appointing an industry expert would also mean they can hit the ground running.
Once the new SRA chief named, he said that their first request is for a review of the efficiency of sugar mills, which could result in faster and higher-quality sugar production.
Lamata noted that 99 percent of the sugar mills are below international standards in terms of efficiency.
Negros Occidental Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer, the Personal Adviser for Western Visayas of President Marcos Jr., also wants a Negrense to head the SRA.
Ferrer and other key leaders of sugar industry met with the President, following the oathtaking of new set of officers of the Vice Governor’s League of the Philippines at Malacañang. (Gilbert Bayoran via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)