By CESAR JOLITO III
The General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) has issued a strong call for urgent action to address the deepening crisis confronting the sugar industry, warning that government inefficiencies and policy gaps continue to threaten the sector’s survival.
In a press statement yesterday, GAWA Secretary General Wennie Sancho said the resilience of the sugar industry is being severely tested as stakeholders struggle to keep the sector afloat amid what he described as disjointed government policies and inadequate support mechanisms.
Sancho noted that while the sugar industry has historically endured cycles of boom and bust, its current challenges are compounded by bureaucratic red tape and alleged inefficiencies within the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
He also raised concern over the looming threat of sugar import liberalization, which he said could further weaken local producers and workers.
Despite these hurdles, Sancho emphasized that industry stakeholders are actively working to survive and adapt.
Farmers are adopting innovative practices, workers are strengthening their organizations, and producers are adjusting to evolving market conditions.
However, he stressed that these efforts are being undermined by the lack of coherent government intervention.
“The inefficiencies in the system are well documented, yet stakeholders are not waiting idly for government action,” Sancho said.
“They are pushing for reforms, demanding accountability, and calling for immediate solutions to protect the industry,” he added.
The GAWA official underscored that the true strength of the sugar industry lies in its people — farmers, workers, millers, producers, and marginal farmers — whose collective efforts have sustained the sector through past crises.
He urged unity among all stakeholders, saying that mobilization and solidarity are essential to overcoming present challenges.
Sancho concluded by appealing for collective action to safeguard the future of the industry, particularly in Negros, where sugar remains a vital source of livelihood.
“Saving the sugar industry means saving jobs, communities and the future of thousands of families,” Sancho said.
“This is a people’s call for urgent action,” he added.
Earlier, Sancho, also the convenor of the Save the Sugar Industry Movement (SAVE-SIM), said the steady decline in mill gate sugar prices — attributed to the influx of imported sugar — has placed the domestic industry under severe strain.
Sancho cautioned that implementing a sugar import liberalization scheme without adequate safeguards could result in widespread economic displacement, particularly among sugar workers and their families who rely heavily on the industry for survival.
“The unrestricted entry of imported and subsidized sugar is disastrous. It could lead to the death of local sugar production and the eventual collapse of the sugar industry,” Sancho said.
SAVE-SIM also called for timely government intervention, including support programs for affected workers and concrete measures to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the domestic sugar sector./CJ, WDJ