Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito on Monday, April 13, said he is consulting with sugar groups in Negros to discuss ways to further address the plight of the sugar industry.
Ejercito, one of the authors of the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA), said he wants to listen to their inputs on amendments to further improve the law.
He said it is frustrating that seven years after the passage of the law, the industry has not attained self-sufficiency. The senator said he wants to get feedback from industry stakeholders on why the funds granted under the SIDA are underutilized.
He also noted that the industry’s problems have been exacerbated by the over-importation of sugar.
Ejercito is scheduled to meet with the sugar industry groups in Negros on Tuesday, April 14.
“Rest assured that I will continue to be an ally of the sugar industry and Negros in the Senate,” he said.
He added that he will do his best to promote the welfare of Negros Occidental, pointing out that he has roots in the province.
The senator noted that his mother, former San Juan City Mayor Guia Gomez, is from Negros.*
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