Aurelio Gerardo “Bodie” J. Valderrama Jr. (left) after his oathtaking as Sugar Board member before Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez*
Three planters’ groups have issued a manifesto in support of President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr.’s appointment of Aurelio Gerardo “Bodie” J. Valderrama Jr. as Sugar Board member.
The manifesto of support, released Wednesday, August 10, was signed by Enrique D. Rojas of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) Raymond V. Montinola – Confederation of Sugar Producers (CONFED) and Danilo Abelita – Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Inc. (PanayFed).
Vaderrama, in an open letter to the sugarcane industry and its stakeholders, Wednesday also thanked the president for the opportunity to serve the sugarcane industry as planters’ representative to the Sugar Board of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer, a staunch supporter of the president, is calling for the revocation of the appointment of Valderrama as acting Sugar Board member.
Valderrama said “That is not a problem to me, I am not indispensable nor do I covet the position. I will not turn my back on the chance to serve the industry, but I do not wish to burden the President if this has become a problem for him. There is no need for debate or recrimination. I am at the President’s disposal”.
“I did not seek this position and did not even consider the possibility, given my open support for the candidacy of then Vice President Leni Robredo in the recently-held elections,” Valderrama added.
Valderrama said when his colleagues informed him that he was nominated, he tried to beg off, citing among other reasons his wife’s current medical condition.
“But when Malacañang called to inform me of my appointment, I was left with little choice but to consider this my ‘tour of duty’, an opportunity to serve the industry that has been the source of livelihood for so many people, including my family,” he said.
Valderrama said he wondered why he was appointed and not someone else close to the current administration.
“But how do you say no if this gesture were in fact a genuine manifestation of the President’s call for unity? And how does one say no when the opportunity to serve the industry, especially to promote the welfare of the small and marginalized sugarcane producers who are struggling to survive, presents itself?” he added.
Valderrama said he accepted his appointment “motivated by my most fervent wish – to help unite the industry, to put our acts together, to speak with one voice and to work as one to address the many challenges we confront in these difficult times”.
He called on industry stakeholders, regardless of affiliation, to work as one for their common good.
“My only wish as planter’s representative is to serve as your voice and your bridge to the SRA and the policy makers. If the President finds it appropriate to enlist someone else, let us respect his prerogative and wish them success,” he said.
SUPPORT
The three planters’ groups, in their manifesto of support, said the president’s appointment of Valderrama “is a most timely development with the nation facing the challenges of sugar shortage and high prices on the one hand, and very high costs of sugar production and diminishing productivity on the other.”
The SRA needs a working board to undertake measures to stabilize supply and maintain prices at levels that provide reasonable profit for producers while making sugar more available and affordable to consumers and industrial/institutional end-users, they said.
CONFED, PanayFed and NFSP, which collectively comprise 57.48 percent of the total sugar production, believe that Valderrama is an excellent choice to represent the planters as member of the SRA Sugar Board because he adheres to the spirit of teamwork and consultation in matters that affect the industry.
UNITY
“I wish to remind those amongst us who led President Marcos Jr. and VP Duterte to victory that our battle cry ‘unity’, was not for political gimmickry. It was for real. Any move taken by the president manifesting that virtue should be encouraged, respected, and upheld,” sugarcane planter Ed Alunan said.*
