Villar leads probe into SRA failure

CEBU, Philippines — Senator Cynthia Villar yesterday presided over the committee hearing probing into the alleged failure of the Sugar Regulatory Administration to implement the Sugar Cane Industry Development Act (RA 10659).

Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, said SIDA, which is the first law she passed as a senator, “is a measure meant to make sure the sugar industry will be able to compete head on against foreign players.”

“I passed the law to boost the sugarcane industry, which contributes P70 billion to the country’s economy annually. Moreover, an estimated 700,000 Filipinos are directly employed in sugar production. The industry really plays a vital role in the country’s economic development,” Villar said in a statement.

However, four years after the enactment of the law, Villar expressed dismay over the reported failure of the SRA to fully implement SIDA.

"My committee has to step in and exercise our oversight function because based on official reports, since the enactment of SIDA, the SRA failed to implement its programs so much so that from close to P2 billion SIDA budget at its disposal in 2016, it now has only P500 million for 2019. Nagkaroon ng underspending ng budget, kaya tinatapyas ng tinatapyas ang budget. Kung hindi magbabago ang implementasyon, baka ang maging SIDA budget next year (2020) ay P67 million na lang. From the P2 billion allotted under SIDA, it will go down to that amount, gusto nyo ba yun?," said Villar in her speech during the 66th Philippine Sugar Technologists annual convention in Cebu City the other day.

This prompted Villar to file Proposed Senate Resolution No. 40 which directs an inquiry into the reported failure of SRA in the implementation of SIDA.

As part of the oversight function of the committee, Villar is monitoring the efficient implementation of SIDA to ensure that its provisions are really benefitting the intended beneficiaries— the sugarcane farmers, workers, millers, suppliers and other industry players.

“The law as crafted, not only focuses on increasing and improving the yield, we also included programs that will develop the skills of the workers and their dependents through training and capacity-building activities,” Villar said.

 Under the law, P2 billion will be given yearly to the sugar industry to be spent as follows: a) 15 percent or P300 million for block farm grants; b) 15 percent for research and development, capability building and technology transfer; c) 15 percent for socialized credits to be implemented by Land Bank for farm support and mechanization; d) 5 percent or P100 million for scholarship grants and human resources development programs; and e) 50 percent or P1 billion for infrastructure development programs for farm to mill roads, irrigation and transport infrastructure.

“Nakakalungkot dahil napakaraming pwedeng paggamitan ng pondo para matulungan ang mga sugar industry players, lalo na ang mga maliliit na magsasaka. Bakit nagkaroon ng underspending?,” Villar said.