• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The National Confederation of Unions and Associations of Sugar Producers and Farm Workers (NACUSIP) has urged the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to use Philippine Air Force (PAF) assets instead of hiring private aircraft for the government’s P30-million cloud seeding program.
NACUSIP National President Roland de la Cruz said the SRA should adopt a “whole-of-government” approach and maximize existing government resources to avoid unnecessary expenses.
“We cannot afford to waste precious government allocations on exorbitant private rentals when taxpayers’ money already sustains the operations of the Philippine Air Force,” de la Cruz said.
He cited the PAF 900th Air Force Weather Group, which NACUSIP said recorded a 100 percent success rate during cloud-seeding operations in Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region from September to October.
De la Cruz said funds saved from aircraft rentals could instead support agricultural inputs and direct assistance for distressed farmers and sugar workers.
NACUSIP also urged the SRA to prioritize actual cloud seeding requirements, including vacuum sodium chloride and jet fuel, as agricultural losses in Negros Occidental continue to mount.
The group placed reported agricultural losses in the province at P41.98 million, affecting thousands of marginal farmers and workers.
De la Cruz said the cloud seeding program should also complement Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson’s cost-efficient governance strategy by ensuring that public funds are used for practical assistance to the agricultural sector. | GPB
