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Dacongcogon sugar mill revival sought anew

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• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

Retired Provincial Fiscal Rolando Parpa, chair of the Dacongcogon Farmers Producers Cooperative*

The revival of the Dacongcogon sugar mill project in Brgy. Tabugon, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, has been sought anew, following the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In a letter to President Marcos Jr, retired Provincial Fiscal Rolando Parpa, chair of the Dacongcogon Farmers Producers Cooperative, disclosed that the revival of the sugar mill established by the late President Ferdinand Marcos 52 years ago, was the only solution to end the insurgency in southern Negros.

In the first six months and two weeks of the administration of President Marcos Jr., Parpa said 28 civilians have died, wounding seven other Army soldiers, and the displacement of more than 18,000 individuals as a result of armed encounters between government forces and New People’s Army rebels in Negros, with about P12 million worth of properties burned by rebels.

In Negros, one can only guess, how many, or who again, is going to die a day after, Parpa said.

“A serious social peace and order situation calls for an equally serious government social intervention, which in Dacongcogon, is putting back in operation the local mill mothballed since 2008,” the former government prosecutor stressed.

Parpa said that thousands of small sugarcane farmers have been suffering, without the sugar milling capacity.

Not a single leader in government or industry ever offered help, or informed the President about their problem, he added.

The Philippine National Bank (PNB) foreclosed the sugar mill more than a decade ago, due to its financial and operational woes.

Parpa said the sugar mill project is the only rational and realistic solution to the insurgency in southern Negros CHICKS (Cauayan, Hinobaan, Ilog, Candoni, Kabankalan, Sipalay) area, which is also the coverage area of the Dacongcogon Cooperative and sugar milling district.

“The milling district has no sugar mill, like light house without a light, a symbol of social injustice,” he pointed out.

Parpa also said that the revival of the mill is now the subject of follow up petitions of 10,000 Dacongcogon sugar farmers and resolutions of 15 Sangguniang barangays and the Candoni municipal council, which was submitted to Malacañang on January 19 last year.

He added that they are seeking an audience with President Marcos Jr. to explain the merits of the sugar mill revival.

“It calls for Presidential policy decision as what was done then by your late father, President Ferdinand Marcos,” Parpa further said.*

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