Daily Star logoTop Stories
Bacolod City, Philippines Friday, March 9, 2012
Front Page
Negros Oriental
Star Business
Opinion
Sports
Police Beat
Star Life
People & Events
Eguide
Events
Schedules
Obituaries
Congratulations
Classified Ads
Pledges support
for sugar industry

BY CARLA GOMEZ

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday pledged to support measures to enable the Philippine sugar industry to survive the onslaught of trade liberalization and moves to reduce tax on petroleum products to lessen the impact of rising fuel prices.

Cayetano, who was in Bacolod City yesterday, said government should implement incentives to make agriculture more “sexy,” to insure its survival.

The senator said he will support moves to provide possible safeguards for the sugar industry, research to improve its competitive edge, and incentives to enable it to survive.

The Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Science and Technology should find creative ways to provide an incentive system for the modernization of Philippine agriculture, Cayetano said.

If we ignore agriculture we will be endangering the country’s future, the senator said.

Cayetano assured that he will support proposed measures to ensure the survival of the sugar industry.

On the call for government to act on the rising fuel prices, Cayetano said that when fuel prices rise, government also earns more money from Value Added Tax.

“We really need a national discussion on alternatives to bring fuel prices down,” he said.

Part of the reason for the high prices is that government is heavily taxing oil products, Cayetano said, adding that he will support measures to reduce that, to bring down prices.

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, yesterday called on the government to review the Oil Deregulation Law as oil prices continue to rise.

The law should be reviewed to help the public brace for the continued increases in prices of oil products, he said.*CPG

back to top

Front Page | Opinion | Negros Oriental | Business | Sports
Star Life | People & Events| Archives | Advertise
Top Stories
ButtonCity police arrest barangay captain
Button2 killed, 3 cops injured
ButtonFlowers, fireworks at send off for Iggy
ButtonI won’t sacrifice truth for speed at impeachment trial: Cayetano
ButtonPledges support for sugar industry
ButtonMGB identifies Negros landslide, flood areas
ButtonFinal draft of RPA peace pact readied
ButtonWV lawmakers pushing for 3 trans-link bridges
ButtonCIDG Negros has new chief
ButtonMore than 1,000 join women’s day rallies
ButtonWe’re naturals for politics: Navarro