• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The old ties that harmonized planter-labor relations in the sugar industry have been rekindled by a new generation sugar leader and the son of a revered labor leader who passed away 10 years ago.
Aurelio Valderrama Jr., president of the Confederation of Sugar Planters’ Associations Inc. (CONFED), and Roland de la Cruz, president of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines (NACUSIP) recently met and agreed to collaborate on vital issues affecting the sugar industry.
In a statement, Valderrama said that both leaders initially agreed to focus on “the revision of Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015 and the empowerment of industry stakeholders by pushing for more consultative policy-making by government, especially on sugar importation”.
De la Cruz, a former councilor of Murcia, Negros Occidental, said that his group now includes not only the formal labor sector, but also small planters, particularly agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) organizations.
“Any benefits accruing to sugar producers will naturally benefit our members, and we wish only to ensure that sugar workers benefit likewise,” he added.
De la Cruz was recently elected national president of the aggrupation of 61 multi-industry trade unions with collective bargaining agreements and 17 ARB organizations nationwide.
He pledged to continue the legacy of his father, lawyer, legislator and labor leader Zoilo De la Cruz Jr., who is best remembered for his groundbreaking work to promote the welfare of sugar workers.
His collaborative work with sugar industry leaders gave birth to the Sugar Industry Foundation Inc. (SIFI), now one of the leading socio-economic development arms of the sugar industry.
The elder De la Cruz was the “father of the 13th month pay” and the Social Amelioration Program for sugar workers, aside from being a founding member of the SIFI Board and a member of the 10th Congress.
Both Valderrama and the young De la Cruz pledged to work together in solidarity to address common concerns and challenges in a collaboration anchored on cooperation, goodwill and trust, a press statement from CONFED said. | GB
