Rice, Sugar Watch-Negros seeks meeting with Bello

BACOLOD. Save the Sugar Industry Movement lead convenor Wennie Sancho (second from left) leads the dramatization of the sentiments of local sugar and rice farmers and workers during the unity forum held at Gerlad's Restobar in Bacolod City on Wednesday, March 6. (Contributed photo)
BACOLOD. Save the Sugar Industry Movement lead convenor Wennie Sancho (second from left) leads the dramatization of the sentiments of local sugar and rice farmers and workers during the unity forum held at Gerlad's Restobar in Bacolod City on Wednesday, March 6. (Contributed photo)

NEWLY-FORMED group Rice and Sugar Watch (RSW) - Negros is seeking a meeting with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, its top official said.

RSW-Negros head Wennie Sancho, during the Unity Forum held at Gerald's Restobar in Bacolod City on Wednesday, March 6, said they wanted to inform Bello of their apprehensions on the situation of sugar and rice farmers and workers in the province.

Sancho, also the convenor of Save the Sugar Industry Movement (SSIM), said they are writing the secretary asking him for a meeting with the group on March 17.

“We need to have representation,” he said, adding that “nothing will happen if we will just continue conducting rallies and forums.”

RSW-Negros is initially composed of about 20 organizations serving as ad hoc council of leaders.

Representatives of these organizations, which include sugar and rice cooperatives and labor unions, among others, also signed a covenant opposing rice tariffication and sugar import liberalization.

The covenant stated that farmer-workers in the rice and sugar industry of Negros, united under the banner of SSIM, commend the initiatives of the previous assemblies.

They expressed full and equivocal support for the Karga Tapas Manifesto and Statement of Solidarity issued last month.

“We bind ourselves to undertake the necessary steps to restrain the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law, and to resist and oppose the plan of the government to liberalize the importation of sugar,” it said.

The covenant further stated that the group deplores the ongoing effort of economic managers to push through with their plan to deregulate sugar importation.

The farmers and workers, in the covenant, expressed their grave disappointment with the way economic managers handle the problem involving vital agricultural products -- rice and sugar.

“They failed to conduct intensified genuine consultations with the stakeholders of rice and sugar industry in coming up with real solution that will come from the people themselves rather than from outside sources,” they added.

RSW-Negros currently comprises about 2,000 members. It plans to eventually expand membership to 50 organizations with at least 10,000 members.

“In this way, we can have a stronger voice to make our stand be heard,” Sancho said, adding that after Bello, they will be working on tapping the support of another cabinet official.

He said they already have Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol “but it’s not yet enough so we need additional forces.”

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