Negrense sugar planter Aurelio Gerardo “Bodie” Valderrama Jr., who was replaced as planters’ representative on the Sugar Regulatory Administration Board, on Saturday, August 20, called on everyone to support the new SRA board members and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
While leaders of three planters groups thanked him for “his forthright and selfless service to the sugar industry during his brief stint in the SRA”.
Enrique D. Rojas – president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, Raymond M. Montinola – president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers, and Danilo A. Abelita – president of the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers in a joint statement issued Sunday, August 21, reiterated their confidence in Valderrama’s integrity.
“At the onset, I was very clear that I serve at the pleasure of the President. As representative of planters, I have one objective, and that is the best welfare of the stakeholders of the sugar industry. I thank all planters who supported me in this endeavor, and I call on everyone to support the new Board of Directors and the President,” Valderrama told DIGICAST NEGROS.
Pablo Luis S. Azcona, United Sugar Producers Federation director, was appointed planters’ representative to the SRA board replacing Valderrama, Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez confirmed Saturday.
“I am also pleased that the planters’ representative is from Negros – and someone who is also relentless in fighting for the rights of the planters,” Valderrama said.
Marcos had appointed Valderrama to the Sugar Board early this month but the board came under fire after it issued Sugar Order No. 4 allowing the importation of 300,000 MT, which was revoked by the president for being released without his approval.
Valderrama said he will continue to cooperate with the Senate and Lower House in their respective investigations in search for truth on the circumstances surrounding the issuance of Sugar Order No. 4.
“In signing Sugar Order No. 4, Mr. Valderrama followed SRA’s mandate of ensuring stable sugar supply for consumers and maintaining sugar prices fair to both consumers and producers. He acted in good faith, and he based his decision on historical and official SRA data, after proper consultations with stakeholders and by following long-established processes of the SRA,” the presidents of the three planters’ groups said.
The SRA passed Sugar Order No. 4, allowing the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, to address the country’s looming sugar shortage from August to October, when sugar mills are either not yet operational or have just started milling, they said
During this period, domestic sugar supply relies on stock balances from the previous crop year and from early sugar production, which is not sufficient to cover the average monthly demand, they added.
The shortage was keenly felt by consumers at grocery stores and supermarkets, where retail prices of refined sugar reached an unprecedented P100 per kilo because of the supply shortage, they said.
Even industrial users, like softdrinks manufacturers, and institutional users like bakeries and pastry manufacturers, have been complaining of the lack of sugar supply, they added.
Consultations were conducted with planters’ federations and other producers, and after studying the production figures presented by the SRA, all stakeholders agreed on the need to import 300,000 MT of sugar, they said.
Thus SRA issued Sugar Order No. 4, but it was invalidated by the president. However, the president later announced he was amenable to the importation of 150,000 MT of sugar, they added.*