PASAY CITY -- Officials from Negros Occidental headed by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, along with sugar industry stakeholders from the province and other sugar-producing provinces in the country, have flooded the Senate to show gratitude for the latter's move to oppose the proposed sugar import liberalization.
For Negrense Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, it's a very rare opportunity that an aggrupation says thank you after getting help from the Senate.
Zubiri, the Senate majority floor leader, was one of the 22 senators who signed the resolution urging the administration not to pursue the planned liberalization of the sugar industry,
He said they strongly believe that there is a need to help the Filipino first, especially Filipino farmers.
"Though the challenges are still there as the Department of Finance (DOF) wants to have reforms, if not, it will go back to their position to liberalize sugar importation," he said. "So we have to get our hearts and minds together."
During the Senate session on Monday, November 25, Zubiri read the Manifesto of Thanks of Tatak Kalamay, a national movement composed of multi-sectoral groups in the sugar industry, before other members of the legislative body.
The manifesto stated that Tatak Kalamay, along with representatives of the local government units (LGUs), came together to express its heartfelt thanks to the members of the Senate for unanimously supporting the plea to scrap the proposed liberalization of the sugar industry.
"We are Tatak Kalamay, birthed out of necessity in order to protect our livelihood and growing in number and strength all over the 28 sugar-producing provinces," it said.
"If not for your timely intervention, the death of the sugar industry would have been imminent. The economic benefits from the sugar industry weakened. More importantly, the thrust of our dear President Rodrigo Duterte in achieving full-food self-sufficiency would have been for naught," it further read.
The manifesto also lauded the Senate for its support during the massive entry of high fructose corn syrup which plunged sugar prices.
"When the Sugar Industry Development Act (Sida) funds were slashed, you were there for us. Now that our ultimate demise is certain, you have once again stood by us," the manifesto added.
Prior to the session, Zubiri along with Senate president Vicente Sotto III and Senators Cynthia Villar, Juan Edgardo Angara, Francis Tolentino, Ronald dela Rosa, Nancy Binay, and Joel Villanueva turned over a copy of the approved Senate resolution.
It was received by Lacson along with 13 mayors, including Evelio Leonardia of Bacolod City, Nicholas Yulo of Bago City, Salvador Escalante of Cadiz City, Jose Maria Alonso of Pontevedra, Jilson Tubillara of San Enrique, Laurence Marxlen dela Cruz of Salvador Benedicto, Manuel Escalante III of Manapla, Irene Montilla of Isabela, Francis Frederick Palanca of Victorias City, Richard Jaojoco of Toboso, Miguel Peña of Pulupandan, Enrique Miravalles of Valladolid, and Rhumyla Nicor-Manguilimutan of La Castellana.
Other officials present were 4th District Board Member Jose Benito Alonso, Councilor Carl Lizares representing Talisay City Mayor Nilo Jesus Antonio Lizares III, and representatives of the cities of La Carlota and Himamaylan.
Clad in black Tatak Kalamay shirt, the sugar industry stakeholders who were mostly members of labor groups, agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), small farmers and workers also joined forces in thanking the Senate.
It can be recalled that on November 11, the Senate passed Resolution 213 opposing the proposed sugar import liberalization with the end view of safeguarding the sugar farmers and industry workers in 20 provinces in the country, including Negros Occidental.
It was introduced by Zubiri, Villar, Angara, Binay, Vilalnueva, Sotto, Dela Rosa, Tolentino, Sherwin Gatchalian, Richard Gordon, Aquilino Pimentel III, Ralph Recto, Franklin Drilon, Pia Cayetano, Christopher Go, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, Imee Marcos, Emmanuel Pacquiao, Francis Pangilinan, Grace Poe, and Ramon Revilla Jr.
The senators, in the resolution, said the deregulated entry of subsidized sugar into the Philippine market will be disastrous to the sugar industry, which contributes an estimated P96 billion in gross domestic product.
It will in particular negatively impact 84,000 farmers, mostly small and agrarian reform beneficiaries, with each farmer tilling less than a hectare of sugar farmland and 72,000 industry workers directly affecting almost a million families or five million individuals, the legislators said.
Stakeholders, including those under Tatak Kalamay, earlier expressed optimism that the move of the Senate will further strengthen the sugar industry.