Seaweed industry calls for gov't stability

The Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines (SIAP) expressed its total support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her Administration for the sake of continued political stability and economic development.

Benson U. Dakay, SIAP president, made this statement of support for the Macapagal-Arroyo administration in the midst of the industry's growing export markets for the semi-refined or the Philippine Natural Grade (PNG) and refined carrageenan.

Dakay who is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Shemberg Marketing Corporation recently returned from an extended selling trip to the European Union (EU) and Eastern Europe, including Russia where he firmed up repeat and some new orders for his company's main eucheuma-based carrageenan products.

In fact, the Shemberg Marketing CEO departs again over the weekend for a weeklong selling mission to Australia to firm up his company's growing carrageenan markets that country.

In reiterating his solid commitment and support for the President, Dakay stressed the need for stability in the government.

"There is a need for the stability in the government in the midst of the opposition's destabilization moves that destroy the core of a stable government and ironically weaken the exporters' ventures in the international market," Dakay said.

"Our carrageenan buyers react negatively to the country's political upheaval that consequently affects our well-known and efficient supply chain, local and foreign," he pointed out.

He therefore called on "political leaders and coup-mad groups to act in sobriety and commitment to the rule of law in making their moves such as in "jueteng" and alleged election fraud (the reported infamous tapes).

"If you have concrete proofs of these illegal activities against anybody in public service, file any relevant case in the courts of law and not in media where grandstanding follows," Dakay stressed.

He concluded by quoting a famous line from Winston Churchill: "The greatest epitaph that can be carved in memory of a lost society is when its professor failed to stretch forth a helping hand while yet there was time."