President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has named Pablo Luis Azcona as the new acting administrator and chief executive officer of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
A statement issued by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Friday said Azcona’s appointment was issued on Thursday, April 20.
In an interview, Azcona said he would prioritize donating smuggled sugar to Kadiwa stores, help sugar farmers prepare for El Niño, and brief Palace officials on the state of the sugar industry.
Azcona replaced Agriculture Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, who was the acting head of SRA for a while.
Moreover, Azcona said Panganiban’s SRA designation was based on the office’s charter and was just temporary.
“The chairman of the Board is designated as officer-in-charge in the absence of an [administrator],” Azcona said.
Prior to his new post, Azacona held the position as SRA board member since August last year, representing the sugar planters.
Former SRA administrator David John Thaddeus Alba stepped down from his post on March 24, citing health concerns, Malacañang said.
For its part, the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) welcomed Azcona’s appointment as SRA administrator.
“We congratulate SRA Administrator Paul Azcona for his new appointment, and we are happy that another Negrense now occupies the top post at SRA,” Enrique Rojas, president of NFSP said.
While it’s common knowledge in the industry that a certain group pushed for Paul’s appointment, “we are confident that his inherent concern for his fellow sugarcane farmers will take precedence over his loyalty to any person or lobby group,” he added.
Moreover, Rojas said that with Azcona at the helm of SRA, “we expect that he will initiate programs which can further improve the industry, particularly the production of the planters.”
The group said that they are hoping that Azcona will introduce interventions, which can mitigate the impact of the upcoming dry season for the crops.