Philippine Rep. Javier Benitez seeks sugar law overhaul and election postponement

Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez was elected chair of a technical working group tasked with modernising the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (RA 10659). The group will review six related bills and use Benitez’s House Bill No. 9088 as a mother bill to address production volatility, pricing gaps and regulatory shortcomings, aiming for a more data‑driven, inclusive framework for the sugar sector.

Benitez also co‑authored House Bill No. 10591 with 63 other lawmakers to postpone the 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to the last Monday of November 2028. The bill cites a global energy emergency, record‑high fuel prices, 6.4 % inflation and damage to voting‑center schools from recent earthquakes as reasons the election logistics and costs would exceed the Commission on Elections’ original Php 19 billion estimate. The postponement is presented as a response to verified public emergencies while preserving constitutional standards.