Sen. Grace Poe today maintained the country is not yet prepared for a liberalized sugar industry as cheaper imports could hurt farmers and eventually kill their livelihood.
“For me, before the government entertains the idea of liberalizing sugar imports, kailangan muna talagang palakasin ang industriya. Kung hindi, mapapatay ang industriya, mawawala ‘yan,” said Poe in a radio interview in Bacolod, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, March 12.
Poe, an independent senatorial candidate, was asked about her stand on a pressing issue that would directly affect farmers in the Philippines’ sugarbowl which produces about half of the country’s sugar supply.
Also, she said Republic Act 10659 or the Sugarcane Industry Development Act passed in 2015 is a relatively new law that seeks to promote the competitiveness of the sugarcane industry, improve farmers’ incomes and grant socialized credit to them. The law was passed to enable the industry to be more competitive as tariff on imported sugars is lowered to five percent as provided by the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.
“The truth is the Sugarcane Industry Development Act is in its infancy. Bago magsabi ang gobyerno na i-liberalize ‘yan [ang sugar imports], alagaan muna ang industriya. At least make them a little bit more competitive, put in more money and make sure that that money really reaches the farmers,” Poe pointed out.
The sugar sector contributes about P90 billion to the economy annually. Sugarcane is planted to more than 400,000 hectares by an estimated 84,000 farmers.
Economic managers earlier proposed to relax rules to allow for more sugar imports as locally-sourced sugar is more expensive compared with other countries.
Poe, however, said sugar yields in Thailand and other Latin American countries are far better than the Philippines because of their advanced technology and more support from their government.
“Tayo hindi [competitive] kasi ‘yung ating technology hindi pa ganon kagaling. Hindi pa natin kayang makipagsabayan sa ngayon,” Poe stressed.
Poe added the government should do its responsibility to fully implement the law to further strengthen the industry on the back of underspending of funds allocated under the 2015 sugar law.
“Eventually we can do it [liberalized trade]. Ang sinasabi ko lang sa ngayon, taasan muna natin ang yields. Let’s mechanize, let’s make sure that they form cooperatives so that they’re more empowered,” Poe said.(30)
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POE: ACTIVATE TASK FORCE EL NIÑO
Sen. Grace Poe is pushing for the approval of a bill creating a single agency in charge of sustainable water management and sanitation amid threats of a prolonged dry spell in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.
During her visit to Bacolod on Tuesday, March 12, Poe said problems in the water sector could be better addressed if there is a uniformed regulatory framework.
“Dapat may iisang water regulatory board na ‘di lang sa tubig kundi pati sa sewerage system kasi ngayon wala pang ganyan,” said Poe in a radio interview.
Poe had filed Senate Bill 1217 or the proposed Water Regulatory Act seeking to rationalize and streamline functions of various state agencies in terms of water regulation in that the independent body is mandated to set the policy for water supply, sewerage and septage management, issue licenses, and set, review or approve rates. She filed the measure in 2016.
Current systems relating to water supply, management and regulation are fragmented, resulting in ineffective delivery of water and sanitation services, Poe said.
Poe also urged the Department of Agriculture and other government agencies to activate a Task Force El Niño that would identify communities severely impacted by droughts and water shortages.
“Dapat may task Force El Niño ang Department of Agriculture at iba’t ibang departamento para makita kung saan tayo makakatulong agad… Sa task force na ‘yan, ina-identify ‘yung mga bibigyan ng tubig na priority,” said Poe as she lamented several days of no water supply in some parts of Metro Manila.
Metro Manila and nearby provinces experienced water shortage in the past few days due to a critical level in dams while agricultural provinces recorded crop losses this early. El Niño is expected to further intensify in the hottest months of the year.
Poe further stated that communities must not only rely on dams for their water supply and proposed that local government units should have catchment areas or water cisterns to collect rainwater and help communities during summer or droughts.
“Hindi lang sa pagtatayo ng dams, dapat may water catchment facilities din. ‘Di ba sa atin grabe pag umulan, ang lakas, yung tubig umaagos lang. ‘Yung communities maglagay paano makolekta ang tubig. Hindi naman tayo magre-rely lang sa dam.”
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SEN. GRACE POE’S AMBUSH INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT
Burgos Public Market, Bacolod City
March 12, 2019
ON RUNNING AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
Sen. Grace Poe: Well, siyempre it’s easier for me to go around since my schedule is really my own. I can decide randomly just to come to the market…Pero siyempre, meron ding mga hamon ‘yon. There are challenges, for example, you don’t really have the machinery that they have. On the other hand, there are 12 spots naman. I keep telling people na mas maganda naman na may balance, hindi naman kasama sa iisang grupo lang.
ON BALANCE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE SENATE
Poe: You know that would really be for the advantage of everyone. Of course, one party will always push for a straight slate. But for me, for example, in my own personal capacity, I talk to the people to vote for certain people who I know really work like Sen. Serge (Osmeña), si Sen. Nancy (Binay)… and then, Sen. JV (Ejercito). Iba-iba naman ang mga partido namin ‘di ba?
WHO AMONG THE SENATORS ARE YOU CAMPAIGNING FOR?
Poe: I’m campaigning for all the re-electionists, the current re-electionists. Together with them, we collaborated and we’ve come up with, I feel, substantial laws. And Senator Serge who is my mentor.
CAMPAIGN PITCH
Poe: Aside from my track record which I’ve already enumerated. I feel that I am very truthful in my work and as my tagline goes, “Mabait sa totoo, galit sa manloloko.” So if I sense that we are treated unjustly and there is unfairness, I speak out. I feel that I’ve been very fair in all of my dealings in the Senate.
SUGAR IMPORT LIBERALIZATION
Poe: I feel that we really have to strengthen first our sugar industry with the Sugarcane Industry Development Act which was basically passed maybe three years ago. It is slowly, still building the sugar industry here. You know in other countries, per hectare they have more yield because of mechanization. In our country, ‘yung per hectare natin ng sugarcane hindi ganun kalaki ‘yung yield. Kaya hindi tayo makaka-compete at this point. Just like the liberalization for rice, before they did that, they had to be able to commit the P10 billion will have to be given back for the rice enhancement fund. So before they can really talk about sugar liberalization, ano muna ‘yung compensation in return so that we will not kill our own industry?(30)
TRANSCRIPT PORTION OF SEN. GRACE POE’S INTERVIEW
WITH dyRL’s Vic Mercado and Teresa Ellera
ON SUGAR IMPORT LIBERALIZATION:
Poe: Hindi pa ako diyan. I’ll tell you Manong why, not because I’m from here: Ang Sugarcane Industry Development Act, kaka-approve lang natin, maybe three to four years ago, so it’s very new. Ang yield per hectare ng Thailand, ng ibang Latin American countries, compared sa atin sa sugarcane ay more than maybe 100 times or 50 times; tayo hindi, kasi ang technology natin ay hindi ganun kagaling pa. Kaya para sa akin before the government entertains the idea of liberalizing sugar, kailangan muna talaga palakasin ang industry kundi mapapatay talaga, mawawala ‘yan. Hindi pa natin kaya makipagsabayan sa ngayon. Katulad nitong sa rice, kailangan mag-commit sila na magbibigay sila ng ilang bilyon every year para maka-compete ang ating sugarcane farmers, not for sugarcane kung mag-iiba sila ng crops, kailangan may technology rin na tutulong sa kanila. Alam ninyo ang mahirap din dito, smuggled din ang mga high fructose na mga components para sa mga sweeteners, mga corn syrup, kung saan saan galing ‘yan, sina-smuggle dito kaya kailangan talaga tulungan ng gobyerno na huwag mangyari ‘yun.
