Sugar producers and workers on Wednesday, Sept. 23, called on Coca-Cola’s Philippine bottler to prioritize locally produced sugar following reports that it has been importing finished Coca-Cola products from Indonesia.
In a joint statement on Sept. 23, the Sugar Council, National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines, and Democratic Association of Labor Organizations said the importation could reduce demand for Philippine sugar and affect farmers, millers and sugar workers.
The Sugar Council is composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers.
The groups issued the appeal after The Philippine Star reported on Sept. 17 that Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP) had begun importing Coca-Cola Original Taste products manufactured in Indonesia.
CCEAP confirmed the importation and said it was intended to maintain reliable product availability while it expands manufacturing capacity in the Philippines.
The company said the “vast majority” of its products sold in the country continue to be locally manufactured.
Bureau of Customs records reviewed by The Philippine Star showed that 5.35 million liters of Coca-Cola Original Taste entered the country in November and December 2025, while another 11.63 million liters were imported from June to August this year.
“As Filipino consumers and workers sustain Coca-Cola’s market success, we urge the company to reciprocate by prioritizing our domestic sugar,” the sugar and labor groups said in their joint statement.
They argued that greater reliance on imported finished beverages could affect the livelihoods of sugar farmers, producers and workers by removing locally produced sugar from the manufacturing process.
CCEAP, however, told The Philippine Star that the importation was not related to domestic refined sugar supply or prices and was undertaken to ensure product availability.
The company currently operates 18 manufacturing sites in the Philippines, including a plant in Brgy. Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Sugar Regulatory Administration Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona also told The Philippine Star that the agency had not been informed beforehand of CCEAP’s plans to import finished products.
Azcona described it as a commercial decision and said there was nothing preventing the company from importing manufactured beverage products, although he expressed hope that the move would not affect demand for locally produced refined sugar.
The Sugar Council, NACUSIP and DALO questioned whether allowing finished beverages containing imported sugar to enter the country could eventually displace products that could be manufactured domestically using Philippine sugar and labor.
The groups also linked the issue to the financial difficulties facing sugarcane farmers, including high production costs and expenses associated with controlling the red-striped soft scale insect infestation.
They claimed that sugar farmers lost billions of pesos in foregone revenue during crop year 2025-2026 because of refined sugar imports.
The groups called on the Department of Agriculture, SRA and other government agencies to determine how much the importation of finished beverage products is affecting demand for domestically produced sugar.
They also sought clarification on government policies intended to protect local agricultural production when finished imported products compete with goods that can be manufactured locally.*
[sibwp_form id=1]