The congressmen of Negros Occidental and other sugar producing areas are prepared to support the bill Rep. Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) is set to file in May to ensure the survival of the sugar industry, Rep. Alfredo Marañon III said Saturday.

Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) Saturday said he is filing his Sugarcane Act bill when Congress resumes sessions on May 7.

The Sugarcane Act aims to raise the value of sugarcane through the creation of integrated agro industrial economic zones that will not only produce sugar, but fuel, power, bio plastics and other by-products, to enable the industry to survive trade liberalization beyond 2015, he said.

Under the ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement tariff on imported sugar entering the country dropped from 38 percent last year to 28 percent this year, Martin said. It will further drop to 18 percent in 2013, 10 percent in 2014 and 5 percent in 2015.

Benitez said a technical team is working on the details of the bill together with Sugar Regulatory Administration.

Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) said “what is good for Negros and our planters, we will support.”

Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Francis Escudero have promised to support the passage of a counter Sugarcane Act bill in the Senate, Benitez said, adding that he will also tap the help of the Ilonggo senators.

FUEL DISPARITY

Benitez said will also seek an explanation for the price disparity in fuel sold in Negros Occidental compared to Metro Manila.

He said that while the price disparity for diesel is only a little above P1 and P2 for regular gasoline, it puzzles him why the disparity on premium gasoline is P4.*CPG

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