• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The appointment of fishing tycoon Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. as the secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has received support from Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) chief Pablo Azcona and presidents of various sugar planters’ federations in the country.
In a statement on Friday, Azcona said they welcome the appointment of Tiu Laurel as they are looking forward to strengthen their partnership with the Department of Agriculture.
He also thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who concurrently served as DA acting secretary for more than a year, for the support and assistance he extended to the SRA and entire sugar industry.
The President expressed confidence in Tiu Laurel’s capacity to lead the DA given his decades-long experience and connections with experts in the field.
Tiu Laurel owns Frabelle Fishing Corp., a deep sea fishing company supplying fresh, frozen, and processed seafood products to domestic and international markets.
Before his appointment as DA chief, he was part of the Private Sector Advisory Council’s agriculture group helping the government address food security issues.
The Sugar Council, composed of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), Confederation of Sugar Producers Association (Confed), and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers Inc. (Panayfed) also congratulated Tiu Laurel.
“We commit to you our full cooperation as you begin the challenging but rewarding job of managing the country’s agricultural assets in general, and the sugar industry in particular. To this end, we look forward to meeting you,” they said in a separate statement.
NFSP is headed by Enrique Rojas while Confed and Panayfed are led by Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. and Danilo Abelita, respectively.
In another statement, Manuel Lamata, president of the United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed), said they are also looking forward to working with Tiu Laurel and will present to him the state of the sugar industry and discuss how the department can extend its assistance and resources to industry, particularly now in the thick of milling season. | GB
