Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela recently published a social media post expressing concern over the importation of sugar, indicating the continued practice will “kill the domestic sugar industry.”

“Who’s making a killing?” he asked. “Very simply put, the SRA (Sugar Regulatory Administration) authorized the importation of sugar – twice over the last six months – in order to address the supply and price issues that end-users were complaining about.”

The former governor went on to call sugar producers the first “victims” of importation, noting, “Producers supported this move after consultations [were] done by SRA.”

Coscolluela surmised, “The sad thing is that the government has concluded that the importation program has so far failed to address the supply/price issue and now thinks about opening up the import program to all comers, which will drown the Philippine market with cheap, subsidized sugar from other countries and, ultimately, kill the domestic industry.”

Sugar planter groups earlier objected to importation, pointing out, the current milling season had just opened and, with ongoing processing, the problem with the sugar supply would eventually stabilize./DGB, WDJ

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The Negros Occidental Provincial Board Committees on Energy and Environment are set to hold hearings tomorrow on a proposed 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Barangay Palampas, San Carlos City.

The hearing was called in response to Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. appealing for an ordinance declaring the entire province “coal-free.”

In addition, Diocese of San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza earlier issued a position paper opposing the power plant.

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, meanwhile, said the proposal should be thoroughly studied first since the San Carlos City Sangguniang Panlungsod released a resolution approving the proposed project./DGB, WDJ