Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez on Wednesday, March 18, denied claims circulating online that a congressional hearing triggered the decline in sugar prices, saying the market downturn was caused by oversupply and policy decisions, not legislative oversight.
Benitez, in a press statement, described the allegations as baseless and irresponsible, noting that the accusations allegedly originated from within the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
“Rather than answer for the oversupply it authorized, the SRA would rather point the finger at the institution that chose to investigate it,” he said.
The lawmaker stressed that sugar prices are determined by supply and demand, not hearings.
He cited data showing that at the start of the October 2025 milling season, total physical sugar inventory reached 902,082 metric tons, up to a 44 percent increase from the previous year, while carry-over stocks stood at 738,633 metric tons, nearly double the ideal buffer level.
He said these conditions reflected an excessive supply already in the market.
Benitez also pointed to Sugar Order No. 8, which authorized the importation of 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar was scheduled to arrive between July and November 2025, coinciding with the opening of domestic milling.
Negros sugar leaders, he noted, had recommended only 150,000 metric tons. Benitez said the timing and volume of imports contributed to the sharp drop in farm-gate prices, which fell to between Php 2,000 and Php 2,200 per 50-kilo bag by January 2026, below production costs.
“All of this happened before any hearing was announced,” he said, adding that commodity prices respond to actual market conditions, not congressional inquiries.
He emphasized that traders stopped purchasing because warehouses were already full, not because of new information from the House.
Benitez said the hearings conducted in aid of legislation helped build the basis for the Department of Agriculture’s extension of the sugar import ban through December 2026, describing the moratorium as vital protection for local producers.
“The hearing they blame, is what protected us,” he said, underscoring that Congress acted to address instability in the industry and stand by farmers.*
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