BACOLOD CITY — It was inspiring to see our leaders, Mayor Bing Leonardia and Congressman Monico Puentevella standing behind President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the public plaza during the launching of MassKara Festival 2008.

Mischievous as I am, the first question I asked myself was, where are their hands? When one time they were with Gov. Isidro Zayco the Governor, instead of making them shake hands, told them to put their hands behind their backs.

Up to now, Pidio Zayco cannot tell me what those hands were doing at the back. Neither Monico nor Bing, probably to give people the thrill of guessing.

Well, they are friends, boyhood friends, both former presidents of the Negros Press Club. And relatives-in-law.

They trade barbs on issues. And also exchanging statements of “endearments.” It’s only the mayorship they are disputing.

But I like their text wars, done by their partisans sent to media.

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Many planters were disappointed that, in their perception, SRA Administrator Rafael Coscolluela is not helpful to them.

They were basing it on Coscolluela’s statement as reported in media. We always say, get it straight from the horse’s mouth. What is his official statement? Or what is his official stand on sugar cooperatives?

Without that, we cannot determine yet.

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On my own, I have the feeling the industry does not have leaders who will go out, sink or swim for the planters and the industry.

And worse, there is no more compassion for small planters. Sugar smuggling is very rampant. And I am afraid some people want that we don’t produce more, so that they can smuggle more.

And the leaders, way of fighting against smuggling is not very concentrated nor focused. Many big people in the industry too, while making it appear they are planters, are actually traders and millers.

I hate to say this. But the time is not very far when our people will line up and its family to be given a kilo or half a kilo of sugar like the way NFA rice is given to the poor today.

We had enough rice before but government neglected it.

Yes, Thailand and Vietnam are producing cheaper sugar because of government support. And it will be Thailand and Vietnam sugar that will be given to the poor because of our sugar shortage.

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In the 60s, the late Piding Montelibano who was a sugar industry leader left Bacolod, giving up his sugar interests and went to Manila going into a hotel and other businesses.

I had a chance to interview him. I was surprised to hear from him sound so pessimistic about the sugar industry, especially when the milling district was dismantled and everyone could mill anywhere.

With “pole-vaulting,” and some planters putting the names in the name of their drivers and there was no need of a Plantation Audit, it was a free for all. And even BIR could not collect the right taxes.

Piding was a very perceptive and astute businessman. Later, in my interview in the 80s, he admitted he got his fingers burned when he went into the prawn business. He failed to consider the risks. He just found it to be profitable, he said, “forgetting that there is more risk in a profitable business.”

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I go back to my other favorite topic. Let us produce food.

When we cannot find leaders who will really help the producers of what use complaining now?

In this instance, I want to salute a young man, Ramon Uy, Jr. and his wife Francine Marañon. They are promoting organic food by producing organic fertilizer and distributing them to farmers and helping the producers market their organic food.

They sell their organic product in front of PNB at Lacson Street.

Uy’s and Roger Saldajeno’s tropical fruits are the best. I tasted them.

Ramon Uy Sr. is a long time friend. He helped me with my organic fertilizer, manufacturing my shredder and other equipment. He is busy selling his farm machineries in Luzon now.

Ramon Uy is the owner of R.U. Foundry Shop in Pahanocoy, Sum-ag.

I hope to feature the young Uy couple and their project of promoting organic food.

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