Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Wednesday, August 17, that the Department of Trade and Industry should act on the high retail prices of sugar.
Right now there is sugar in the markets but the problem is the price, and it is not the planters who are benefitting from the high prices but the traders, he said.
Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability and Committee on Agriculture and Food have summoned Department of Trade and Industry representatives to give data and information on consumer prices and supply chain logistics.
The House inquiry on the sugar importation mess will be held on Monday, Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod partylist) said.
“There’s no sugar shortage in Bacolod. It remains abundant in every store, but why does it retail at P108 per kilo for refined? This is obviously classic price manipulation. Where are you DTI?” sugar planter Ed Alunan said.
Lacson said he does not believe there is a sugar crisis and the president has already said that he is willing to allow the importation of 150,000 metric tons of sugar, not 300,000 MT, to prevent a shortage.
The planters are not against importation, but it should not be raw sugar, it should be refined sugar, he said.
The milling season has already started so importing raw sugar will compete with the produce of local producers and affect farmgate prices, he said.
When importing sugar the volume needed and the timing of its entry should be considered, and possible sugar smuggling should be watched, he said.
“With these three guidelines we will always be in a stable situation,” he said.
Lacson also said he agrees with Aurelio Gerardo “Bodie” Valderrama Jr., planters’ representative on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Board, that he should not resign and should instead wait for the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Valderrama, one the signatories of the controversial Sugar Order No. 4 that would have allowed the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, said he is leaving the decision to the president.
The three other members of the Board who resigned are Department Agriculture Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian, SRA administrator Hermenegildo Serafica and Roland Beltran, millers’ representative on the board.
Lacson said Valderrama, who is from Negros, was appointed by Marcos, while the three others were appointed during the previous administration.
“I agree with Mr. Valderrama that he will wait for the decision of the president. He is at the disposal of the president,” Lacson said.
Lacson said the way he sees it, the mistake was with Sebastian who signed SO4 for and behalf of the president.
It was a recommendation of the SRA board and the right thing to do was to present it to the president for him to approve or not, Lacson said.
Obviously the president did not approve it and came up with a statement later that we will import 150,000 metric tons of sugar by October, he added.*