THE Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (Confed), the largest planters federation in the country, has welcomed two new member-planters associations for crop year 2022 to 2023.

The two new associations affiliated with Confed are Southern Negros-based Planter’s Association of Southern Negros Inc. (Pason) headed by its Chairman Emeritus Franklin Fuentebella, Robert Bernard Tan as chairman and Engineer Luis Garingalao as president; and Northern Negros-based United Cadiz Sugarcane Planters Association Inc. (Ucspa) headed by Clarita Lilia “Claire” Lacson.

“We warmly welcome the two new members who joined Confed at the start of my term as federation president,” Confed president Aurelio “Bodie” Valderrama said.

He added “this manifests our openness towards all industry stakeholders, in line with our call for unity among all diverse stakeholders in the sugar industry.”

Upon assumption as Confed national president last September at the start of the current milling season, Valderrama advocated for unity in the industry, stressing that “only the collaborative and focused efforts of all stakeholders can address the decades-long, myriad and recurring problems of the sugar industry.”

The largest planters association in the Biscom Milling District in Southern Negros, Pason is actually a former member of Confed. The group, however, chose to become an unaffiliated association several years back.

Ucspa, on the other hand, is one of the oldest associations in Northern Negros.

Other Pason officers are Dr. Agripino Randy Ravina III - vice president; Alejo Manuel Trabasas – treasurer; Marco Antonio Ibaňez – secretary; Nonito Villaluna - assistant secretary; and Mary Joyce Javellana, Zea Mae Sales and Cesar Dominador Villafranca – directors.

The officers of Ucspa, meanwhile, are Alessandro Lacson – secretary; Michael Lindly Monfort – treasurer; and Anthony Francis Consing, Claire Therese Consing, Marissa R. Lacson and Jaime Luis Trebol as directors. (PR)