By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez yesterday confirmed President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Hermenegildo Serafica as the new administrator for the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Serafica is member of the SRA board and a sugar planter from Ormoc City, Leyte.
Sugar Alliance of the Philippines (SAP) spokesperson, Atty. Dino Yulo, said Serafica’s appointment is a welcome development, especially with the administration naming SRA as an agency facing abolition due to alleged corruption.
“With the appointment of Serafica, SAP believes the president is prolonging the life of the SRA,” Yulo said.
He added, with the sugar milling season in full swing, they are hoping Serafica offers SRA a fresh start and his appointment gives a renewed boost to the sugar industry.
Previously, sugar industry stakeholders expressed worry after Duterte called for the elimination of the SRA earlier this month.
However, Benitez said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is lobbying for the retention of the agency, calling it the gatekeeper of the sugar industry and its consumers./WDJ