BY Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Barely a month after appointing an OIC to the Sugar Regulatory Administration, President Junior has finally decided to give the SRA a taste of a new administrator. He has appointed Pablo Luis Azcona, a sugar planter, to the role with marching orders to improve sugar production ASAP.
It suits the SRA well to be relieved of a caretaker – Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban – as its top man. Panganiban is no superman to be juggling responsibilities in the two most problem-ridden offices in government.
For all our sakes, let’s hope Azcona doesn’t get too sweet on the job and can help address the controversies and issues that have plagued the SRA under this Marcos administration, including the recent importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar allocated to three “handpicked” importers.
Well, at least the sugar farmers’ group United Sugar Producers Federation seems happy with the appointment since Azcona is from the sugar capital of Negros. So, let’s see if Azcona can put the sugar industry back on track and prevent any more sour developments.
Promised compensation
So, our President has once again packed his bags and worn his traveling shoes. Off to the West he goes for an all-important meeting with US President Joe Biden, to be followed by socials in the UK as he bears witness to the crowning of King Charles III.
Back home, though, it remains a sad reality that many Filipinos go abroad in forced circumstances to seek employment due to poverty and joblessness in our own country. The promise of greener pastures and a brighter future have drawn thousands of Pinoys to strange lands like Saudi Arabia.
Recently, Migrant Workers Secretary Toots Ople has revived hopes that the long overdue wage hike promised to some 10,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the Middle East who their Saudi employers dismissed between 2015 and 2016 may finally be settled.
These OFWs have suffered for seven years, waiting for the Saudi government to pay their rightful compensation, and it has become a travesty. It’s not just a matter of finances but also life and death, as some workers have passed away during the long wait.
The promises made by government officials have repeatedly been broken, and the recent meeting between President Marcos and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince has not resulted in any significant progress.
The Philippine government’s promise of financial aid is not a permanent solution, and many OFW leaders remain skeptical about the pledged compensation plainly because the wind has blown the promises.
It’s time for the Marcos administration and the Saudi King to take immediate action and ensure justice is served. But, for now, these delays clearly indicate President Junior’s overwhelming challenge to protect the rights and welfare of Filipino workers abroad.
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