The Philippine Sugar Technologists Association (PHILSUTECH) will hold its 71st Annual National Convention this coming August 12 to 15, at the Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City with the theme “Resilient Together: Leveraging Technology and Policy Synergies for the Growth of the Sugarcane Industry.”
About 1,000 sugarcane industry stakeholders, including delegates from other sugar-producing countries, and about 100 product exhibitors of agricultural and industrial equipment and technologies, traditionally participate in the convention.
Top national government executives, policy makers, and experts in various fields have been invited to provide updates and share their ideas on issues affecting the sugarcane industry. The Sugar Regulatory Administration also delivers its sugar production and consumption report for the current crop year, as well as shares the agency’s projections for the next crop year.
Moreover, PHILSUTECH will announce the Winners for the Best Technical Paper, the Don Carlos L. Locsin Award and the Outstanding Sugar Practitioner during the event.
Prior to the formal opening on August 13, there will be a friendly golf tournament which tees off at 7:30 a.m. on August 12 at the Mactan Island Golf Club. The golf tourney is open to all members, delegates and sponsors. In the afternoon of the first day, product exhibits open at 5 p.m., followed by the Fellowship Night at 6:30 p.m.
The PHILSUTECH 71st Annual National Convention formally opens at 10 a.m. on August 13 (Wednesday), with Irwin Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Universal Robina Corporation (URC), as the keynote speaker. The opening ceremonies will also feature the awarding of this year’s Don Carlos L. Locsin Award, the highest honor granted to a stakeholder in the sugarcane industry.
On Wednesday afternoon, there will be technical presentations aimed at enhancing industry knowledge in the fields of Agriculture and Farm Engineering, Sugar Process, Management, Bioenergy and Environmental Management and Factory Engineering.
August 14 will be highlighted by the address of the Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona and the SRA reports during the luncheon program, more technical papers and product presentations, and the Gala Night at 7 p.m.
The last day of the convention, August 15 (Friday), is dedicated to the General Membership Assembly, rendering of the Association’s reports, induction of new set of officers, and the formal closing ceremony.
The Philsutech Secretariat is still accepting reservations for product exhibitors and pre-registration of delegates. For more information, interested parties may contact the Philsutech Secretariat at telephone numbers 4343013 (fax) and 4348217 or email philsutech@gmail.com.
“We encourage our sponsors and product exhibitors to reserve their slots. We also call on our members and incoming members to register early for the convention, so that they can avail of the early bird discount,” said Haydee Rivera, Philsutech corporate secretary and manager.
Overall convention chairman for this year’s event is Rogelio Callueng Jr., the director for operations of the Universal Robina Corporation Sugar and Renewables Division (URC SURE).*
