The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) is calling for the resignation of Sugar Regulatory Administrator, Hermenegildo Serafica, for the issuance of Sugar Order No. 3 that allows the importation of 200,000 metric tons of refined sugar for industrial users.
UNIFED President, Manuel Lamata, in a press release Sunday, February 6, said that “There seems to be a midnight deal between the SRA, the Department of Agriculture and a giant bottling company to be given this preferential treatment.”
“In due time we will reveal and boycott that beverage company”, he said.
“It is appalling that here is a giant bottling company who will gain much from this importation program to avoid buying from the local industry. They’ve been at this before and we are not surprised that they are at it again,” Lamata added.
“What is troubling is that they are getting help from the very agencies that are supposed to protect us,” Lamata said.
“We are appealing once again to President Rodrigo Duterte to help us and fire SRA Administrator Serafica as it seems he is working for the benefit of others instead of us”, he said.
“He (Serafica) is only there to protect the interests of the big industrials to the detriment of the Filipino people,” Lamata added.
The sugar leader also said that they have been patient with government’s “inaction” on the rising cost of fertilizers and other farm inputs, “because we know that all resources are being channeled to pandemic measures and we understand that. But it is clear that this importation order from SRA, with the concurrence and prodding of Agriculture Sec. William Dar is not going to help any sector except one – the big industrial users.”
Lamata said that all prices of commodities have risen such as rice, corn, fish and bread. “These are staples we buy and use as well, so why target the sugar industry only?”
He said that there has been a clamor against high cost of retail sugar that has been affecting the small sugar-using vendors, “but ironically this importation order does not even address that complaint as this is strictly for industrial users. So what gives? It is clear that the lobby by small vendors against high sugar price was a ploy to accommodate this particular bottling company.”
“Mr. President, we are once again appealing that you help us and put a stop to these machinations by SRA and the DA. They are supposed to protect industry stakeholders but all these moves point to one thing, they are determined to kill the industry,” Lamata added.
UNIFED is one of the biggest federation of sugar producers in the country. Ironically, Serafica used to be one of their members, Lamata said.
“This is adding insult to injury,” former Sugar Regulatory Board Member, representing the planters, Dino Yulo also said, adding that the issuance of the order is “very ill-timed.”
Yulo said that it is ironic that while the clamor for high price of sugar comes from small vendors, “the one that will clearly benefit in this importation are industrial users, especially bottling companies that have been provided half of the import quota.”
While SRA claims this is based on projection from industry stakeholders that indeed there will be a shortage of sugar due to low production in sugar lands, especially in Negros that was severely devastated by Odette and which accounts for more than half of the country’s total production, “the import volume is way too much and not at this time when sugar milling is at its peak,” Yulo added.
“We are still in a midst of a crisis, and our sugar planters in Southern Negros are still trying to recover from the effects of Odette, and here is another crisis that will hit us. We hope that SRA will reconsider and amend the order until they get a good picture from the ground as to what quantity is just needed to ensure that the industry is protected,” Yulo said.*