President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has reconstituted the Sugar Regulatory Board with three new appointees, including David John Thaddeus P. Alba as acting administrator of the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
Alba replaced former SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica who resigned after the President rejected Sugar Order No. 4 signed by the former members of the Board.
Marcos chairs the SRB in his capacity as concurrent secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
The other newly-appointed SRB members are Pablo Luis S. Azcona, representing sugar planters vice Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr., and Ma. Mitzi V. Mangwag representing sugar millers vice Atty. Roland Beltran, who resigned for health reasons.
The SRA, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC) attached to the DA, was established in 1986 by virtue of Executive Order No. 18
The SRA is mandated to promote the growth and development of the sugar industry through greater and significant participation of the private sector and to improve the working conditions of laborers.
The agency concentrates its efforts on effectively discharging regulatory, research and development (R&D) and socio-economic activities such as the livelihood programs for the sugar workers. – gb
