By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The local labor group General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) is hoping that newly-designated acting chief, Pablo Luis Azcona of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) will stop the proposed direct sugar importation by several food and beverage manufacturers.

GAWA secretary-general Wennie Sancho said such a deal is a death blow to the local sugar industry.

Sancho said that until now, with the recent influx of imported sugar, it has already weakened the local production.

He added that there are currently five million people who are directly and indirectly dependent on the local sugar industry.

“It should not be taken for granted,” Sancho said.

He further hopes that the SRA will be circumspect in its function of regulating and allocating sugar.

Azcona was appointed as the new acting administrator of the SRA on April 28.

He previously served as SRA board member representing sugar planters.

The new head took over Agriculture Senior Undersecretary and SRA officer-in-charge Domingo Panganiban, as former administrator David John Thaddeus Alba stepped down on April 16.

Alba, who is also a Negrense, resigned from the post citing his poor health./DGB, WDJ