SRA UNDER A NEW LEADERSHIP
The former Governor of Negros Occidental who has served the province for three (3) consecutive terms (1992-2001) and Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas, the Honorable Rafael L. Coscolluela, was appointed as the new Administrator of SRA effective September 1, 2007.
During the turn-over ceremony held last August 30, 2007 in SRA Quezon City, the symbolic change of leadership was witnessed and attended by SRA officials and employees, USEC Jess Paras of the Department of Agriculture, representatives of other government agencies and various sectors of the sugar industry.
In his speech, outgoing Administrator James C. Ledesma remarked, “When I entered SRA in 2001, Lito (nickname of Mr. Coscolluela) was still the Governor of Negros Occidental. It’s now 2007 and I believe I am turning over a stronger industry and a stronger Sugar Regulatory Administration”. He conveyed about the inevitability of emerging challenges in the sugar industry. “ But if there is cohesion among ourselves and we will work together as one, I think we can make it”, he continued. He urged everyone to extend to the new Administrator the same level of support they have accorded him during his stint in SRA.
Mr. Coscolluela lauded the recent implementation of the SRA Rationalization Program which he described as a process of professionalizing and rationalizing not only for the good of the organization but also for the good of its stakeholders. He recognized the determination and strong will of Mr. Ledesma to downsize the 1,138 plantilla positions down to 431.
The new Administrator gave significance to the adoption of one of the basic rules Mr. Ledesma has brought to the industry, the consultative process, that redounds to the benefit of the whole industry without sacrificing the interests of the consumers. He also called for a closer working relationship and a more cohesive partnership with all the stakeholders, for what is good for them is also good for the sugar industry.
Mr. Coscolluela also pointed out that in order to meet the challenge of trade liberalization by 2010, the sugar industry shall gradually shift to being a sugarcane industry, of which sugarcane has been tapped as one of the major feedstocks for the biofuels industry.
