• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Raising his alarm over what he described as the over-importation of sugar, Senate deputy majority leader Joseph Victor Ejercito is eyeing an investigation into current sugar importation policies, and their impact on the domestic industry.
This development comes after Ejercito separately met on Tuesday, representatives of major sugar producer and miller groups, including the Confederation of Sugarcane Farmers of Negros Inc., Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, the Philippine Sugar Millers Association, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, and United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED), to better understand the challenges confronting the industry and explore possible amendments to the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA).
Ejercito said he wants to look into the over-importation of sugar, even during the harvest season, which led to the drastic drop in mill gate prices of the commodity.
He stressed the need for a policy review, through a Senate probe.
Members of the CONFED and National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines – Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP) earlier blamed the recent drop in prices of sugar to what they claimed was the over-importation of sugar.
“We will look seriously into this, kung may false scarcity para mag-import kahit malinaw na nalulugi ang local industry (if there is false scarcity so they can import even if it is clear that the local industry is hurting). We will file the necessary resolutions to address this problem and protect the thousands of families who rely on the sugar industry as their primary source of livelihood,” said Ejercito, one of the principal authors of the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) of 2015.
Ejercito expressed dismay that seven years after the passage of the SIDA, the industry has not attained self-sufficiency, despite the annual earmarked budget of P2 billion, which also noted to have not been maximized for use.
In a statement, the lawmaker also expressed the possibility of revitalizing sugar mills to boost local production. Negros Occidental—the country’s “Sugarbowl”—produces more than 60 percent of the Philippines’ sugar supply.
The industry supports around 140,000 small-scale planters across Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, according to data from the Department of Agriculture–Negros Island Region.
On the other hand, the Sugar Council has joined the call of the NACUSIP-TUCP and allied labor organizations for the release of the minutes of Sugar Board meetings.
“We call on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to disclose the minutes of those meetings, particularly the minutes of the meeting which approved Sugar Order No. 8 (SO#8), Series of 2024-2025, authorizing the importation of 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar, which was signed prior to public consultation,” a press statement from the Sugar Council said.
SO#8, Series of 2024-2025 was signed by all the members of the Sugar Board on June 28, 2025, but stakeholder consultation was only conducted nine days later on July 7, 2025. Those who signed the Sugar Order include DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel as Chairman, and SRA Administrator Pablo Azcona, Millers Representative Mitzi Mangwag, and Planters Representative Dave Sanson, as members of the Sugar Board.
The conduct of prior consultation is mandatory as required by Sec.11 of Republic Act 10659, or the Sugar Industry Development Act (SIDA), which says in part, “In the identification and prioritization of specific programs and projects, the SRA shall conduct prior consultation…”
Rule 11.4 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR), titled “Call for a Stakeholder Consultative Assembly”, also says in part, “…The consultative assembly shall serve as forum where SRA shall conduct consultations prior to approval or implementation of any program, project, or activity under the Act. …”
Moreover, the Sugar Council pointed out, during the July 7, 2025 consultation, the producers suggested to import only 150,000MT, but SRA turned around and on July 8, 2025 released SO#8 announcing the importation of a massive 424,000MT, to enter the country between July 15 and November 30, 2025, overlapping with the start of the milling season that started on October 1 that year.
“The stakeholders need to be enlightened how these decisions, perceived to be injurious to them, came about. And this can only be explained by the minutes of the meeting that NACUSIP-TUCP has been asking for,” the group added.
NACUSIP-TUCP earlier slammed SRA’s “culture of secrecy” and lack of transparency, and reiterated their demand for the release of the minutes of the meeting.
“If SRA has nothing to hide, there’s no need for secrecy or alleged confidentiality,” the Sugar Council said.*
