by Eugene Adiong on Wed, 04/19/2017

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Trade Industry agreed to create a Sugar Industry Consultative Committee yesterday even as sugar industry stakeholders’ doubts linger.

Senator Cynthia Villar said she is pushing for a settlement.

“The industry wants a P1,500 price for domestic sugar and the beverage companies will help,” Villar, chair of the agriculture committee, said.

The companies agreed to recognize Sugar Order No. 3, she said.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said it will be a new dawn for the sugar industry as everything ends well.

Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel Piñol said he will push for the mechanization and increase the productivity of the sugar industry.

Piñol added that he bears no ill feelings for the sugar industry stakeholders.

“I’m too old for that,” he said.

But Atty. Emilio Yulo of the sugar alliance said that while they welcome the committee, there is still no win-win solution but this is a start of the process, he pointed out.

The joint hearing was attended by various stakeholders from labor, planters, millers and agrarian reform beneficiaries, aside from Villar and Zubiri, Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Paulo Benigno Aquino III and Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benite (3rd Dist).*(Eugene Y. Adiong)