Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito on Monday, May 8, lamented the lack of improvement in the sugarcane industry in the Philippines with the problem being shifted to sugar importation. The sad situation persists despite the enactment of Republic Act (RA) No. 10659 (Sugarcane Industry Development Law) and RA 10845 (Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law) in 2015 and 2016, respectively, he said. During the public inquiry of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into reports on multiple entries of sugar shipments in Philippine ports, Ejercito expressed disappointment in the dependence of government agencies on the importation of sugar instead of developing the industry in sugar-producing regions, such as the Negros Region. "Where are we now? After seven years, had the agency properly implemented the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law and the Sugar Cane Industry Development Act, the sugar cane industry in Negros would have been in a better position now," Ejercito said during the hearing on Monday, May 8. "It is sad that despite passing the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Law they grew accustomed to importation. Smuggling might have been eliminated but the problem shifted to importation," he added in Filipino. Ejercito aired his sentiments on the sugar industry at the end of the public hearing chaired by Sen. Francis Tolentino who invoked Senate rules in postponing the hearing based on the absence of resource persons who could furnish vital information.