Events: The Video Documentary PUREZA: Preparation or Propaganda? (4)
Mr. J. Abello’s PUREZA identified the enemies of the sugar industry, among others – Marcos, Benedicto, Cory Aquino’s Land Reform Program, towards the end, the century old sociological bad habits of lazy hacienderos, myopia that a hundred by-products can be manufactured and those hacienderos’ “queridas and cocks” and the social psychology of their laborers’ imitation, the non-implementation of the Sugar Restitution Law and the zero-tarification in 2015. Wow!
Fifty six sugar leaders and their member-followers lambasted the late SRA Administrator Atty. Wilson Gamboa, Sr. in both local and national dailies back in 1996 for one whole week, when he publicly spoke exactly the same concern Mr. Abello’s PUREZA minced. He did not have the privilege of producing a film though but while watching PUREZA last February 7, how do you think I felt? I have read voluminous documents left by the dead Gamboa, Sr. who once “chided sugar planters for their complacency and called on them to mend their ways IN ORDER TO BE PREPARED FOR GLOBAL COMPETITION”.
The late Gamboa, Sr., when he sat as SRA Administrator more than two decades ago, prepared the sugar industry for the onslaught of globalization under the terms of the GATT-WTO-AFTA. Globalization knows no other language but the survival of the efficient enterprise against zero-tariff “cheap” importation of sugar therefore improve productivity of farms and mills. Long, long before PUREZA was conceived, voluminous documents will prove that Gamboa, Sr. sufficiently informed the sugar industry what it takes to compete by laying down structural reforms in the SRA and standards of conduct for a decent industry. If these are not followed, he warned of consequences symbolized by the “hammer and sickle”. The “hammer” of GATT-WTO-AFTA will hit the industry on one side and the “sickle” of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reformed Program will slash on the other side.
Mr. J. Abello’s PUREZA likewise reminded us all to be serious about our global standing as an industry but which was forgotten. Interpreting this, our century-old sociological bad habits requires self-examination and repentance – all of us must come to realize and bravely say I AM WRONG; as to our myopia, this requires quantification of the sugar industries’ competitive advantage, it has the capability to produce a hundred by-products of sugar cane vis-a-vis the existence of soaring global demand, it is cowardice to say that the industry is not prepared. Why must 2015 be the benchmark?
On record, two decades ago, Gamboa, Sr. and Iloilo Assemblyman Fermin Caram, under extreme pressure from their monster-enemy, quantified the P14 Billion plunder of the sugar industry by the PHILSUCOM-NASUTRA, none of the sugar planters cheered (man lang?). When it was the turn of Gamboa, Sr. to remind, chide, taught like an elementary school teacher, spoke like “Mr. Right, Modern Messiah”, for the whole industry to mend their ways because the law favored them, this is not without a price and that is “to be productive, end absenteeism in running farms, avoid borrowing on future income, practice hands-on farming and live within means…”, it was unfortunate that the 56 sugar leaders back in 1996 hollered back instead “implementation of the Sugar Restitution Law…are you for us or against us”!
They do not like to work! They like to have that P14 Billion instead! Then let 2015 come and let the sugar industry die against the competition of imported sugar.
It was in 1992 that President Fidel V. Ramos signed executive order number 31 “Directing all government lending financial institutions to implement the Sugar Restitution Law.” Gamboa, Sr. was appointed in 1996; who were the SRA Administrators in between 1992 to 1996 and after he vacated two years hence, 1998 thereabouts? Why was there no condemnation from the industry major players, when no implementation took place coming from financial institutions?
Watch the film PUREZA The Story of Negros Sugar on February 17, 2012, Friday (Regular Screenings at 12NN, 2PM, 4PM) at SM-Bacolod at these Cinema Hours: 12:00NN, 2:00PM, 4:00PM and tickets are available at P120.00 at Café Uma (709-9966) or contact 0932-3065277 | 0917-3012878 | 034-7086076. You can also follow PUREZA, The Story of Negros Sugar on Facebook.*
(Next: If globalization is the hammer, land reform is the sickle: Is there a way out?)
