Dick Gordon vows support for Negros Occ., sugar industry

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Richard “Dick” Gordon” promised to support the sugar industry and the development of Negros Occidental once re-elected senator in the May 13 elections.

“I believe that given its resources, Negros Occidental can compete even with Singapore,” Gordon said in a press conference at the Sugarland Hotel in this city.

In the same press conference, former Negros Occidental Gov. Rafael “Lito” Coscolluela, national president of the Confederation of Sugar Producers (CONFED), said his group is endorsing the senatorial candidacies of Gordon and former senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, also of UNA.

Coscolluela said he is also personally supporting the senatorial bids of former senator Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay Jr. of the Liberal Party-led Team PNoy.

“We support these three because we believe they are performers. They have performed well during their Senate terms,” Coscolluela said.

CONFED will support more senatorial candidates and it will reveal the list soon, he said, adding that “the sugar industry needs friends in the Senate.

In response, Gordon said: “I thanked everybody in CONFED for endorsing me,” citing the sugar industry and agriculture as the backbone of Negros Occidental.

The sugar industry however faces a looming crisis with the eventual collapse of its tariff walls starting 2015. Under the Asean Free Trade Agreement, tariffs on imported sugar will be lowered starting 2012, and by 2015, tariffs will be down to 5 percent.

“We should have been prepared for this a long time ago … It’s time to make adjustment. We need to get our acts together,” Gordon said. “We should enhance the sugar industry, make it more competitive, and make more products out of it.”  (FREEMAN)