Farmers rally behind SRA chief

Members of the Bukidnon Mill District Development Foundation Inc. have expressed their complete and unwavering support to Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Rafael Coscolluela in the latter’s “earnest, untiring, and firm endeavors for the success of the Philippine sugar industry.”

The manifestation of support was signed by Governor Jose Zubiri Jr. for the Sugarcane Growers Association of Bukidnon and the Sugarcane Farmers of Bukidnon Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Romeo Garcia for the Bukidnon Planters Association, Emeterio Villanueva III for the Sugar Producers Association of Bukidnon, Edwin Poliquit of the Southern Bukidnon Cooperative Planters Association, Pablo Lorenzo III of the Associated Bukidnon Sugarcane Farmers, Antonio Pizarro III for the United Sugarcane Planters of Bukidnon Association, Renato Maestre for the Bukidnon Integrated Planters Association, Romualdo Abello Sr. for the Bukidnon Progressive Planters MultiPurpose Cooperative, Democrito Oppus for the Busco Sugar Milling Co., and Javier Sagarbarria for the Crystal Sugar Co.

In the resolution, the groups noted that SRA, under Coscolluela’s astute and very capable leadership, has keenly managed the national sugar inventory by the use of well-calculated production allocations thereby maintaining the average price of sugar at levels appreciated by both producers and consumers.

They said he has also strictly implemented effective measures to prevent the illegal and detrimental diversion to the domestic market of sugar intended solely to assist food processing exporters.

In his determination to protect the livelihood of thousands of stakeholders in the sugar industry, they noted that the SRA administrator has been in the forefront of the relentless campaign to end sugar smuggling.

It was also pointed out that he consistently promoted research and development efforts to improve productivity and to modernize the sugar industry.

Many more in the sugar industry have signified their continued support to Coscolluela’s efforts, which unfortunately, are being sabotaged by certain people who obviously do not have the industry’s best interest in mind.

The other side speaks

This column has written extensively about the ongoing leadership infighting at the Spa Association of the Philippines (SAPI). For the sake of fairplay, let us now look at the controversy in a different light.

Marjorie Lopingco, SAPI president for April 2007-2009, has accused tourism officials of meddling in the internal affairs of the organization and of supporting a faction within the organization led by Catherine Turvill. She has also accused Turvill et.al. of usurping the powers of the board that rightfully belong to Lopingco’s group.

Turvill on the other hand says the interest of DOT on SAPI matters is understandable considering that it was the DOT which organized the SAPI in April 2004, and that the SAPI membership has already spoken on the matter of who should lead the organization.

Under the SAPI by-laws, the elections should be held every April 15 during the regular membership meeting. According to Turvill, it was agreed the board to schedule the elections on April 29 but that Lopingco postponed the meeting without board approval.

Turvill said that during the April 29 meeting, the members were surprised to hear that there were no elections. They made a resolution to continue the meeting on May 2 since there were many members from the Visayas and Mindanao already in Manila.

As agreed by the members, the meeting of April 29 resumed on May 2 with more than 50 members present, which established a quorum. A member made a motion to hold the elections and it was seconded. Elections were then held and director Cynthia Lazo of the Department of Tourism was invited as a guest during that meeting.

By a vote of at least one third of the total membership, three resolutions were passed. The first declared the positions of board of trustees and officers of the association vacant by virtue of expiration of term. The second elected Turvill and four others as board of trustees, while the third ordered the outgoing officers and board members to fully account for corporate funds and assets and to turn them over to the newly elected board. The three resolutions were signed by SAPI members and Lazo.

Turvill’s election is now the subject of a court action by Lopingco’s group which claimed that the manner by which the alleged election was called was in violation of the Corporation Code and that until a new set of trustees shall have been duly elected and qualified, the previous board shall remain in a hold-over capacity.

Aside from having filed a criminal case against Turvill’s group for violation of the penal provisions of the Corporation Code, cases have also been filed against Tourism Undersecretary Cynthia Carreon, director Cynthia Lazo and other tourism officials with the Office of the Ombudsman, all in relation to their alleged interference with private matters beyond their jurisdiction.

Lopingco also claims that the board knew that the elections have been postponed to May 27 and that the April 29 was not a general membership meeting and was instead a training seminar.

On May 27, Lopingco’s group held an election, with two observers from the Securities and Exchange Commission in attendance. Due to absence of a quorum, no elections were held.

Lopingco insist that they continue to be the SAPI board while Turvill claims they have been duly elected by the membership and that Lopingco’s term had long expired.

Lopingco also claims that Turvill’s group has mismanaged a European grant for the internationalization of spa operations in the Philippines, but Turvill insists that the grant has never been under her control.

Turvill also said that in March 2009, the project was monitored by an independent consultant contracted by the EU in Brussels and that the report shows that the grant is being managed professionally and effectively. 

She likewise emphasized in her letter that Lopingco and Tony Abaya wrote a letter of complaint to the EU Ambassador demanding another audit of the grant, and that the EU Grant was suspended pending an investigation.

Turvill laments that because the EU Grant has been on hold, the associations in the other countries have not been able to receive the funds to to pay their obligations to the schools, causing them much anxiety and stress.

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