BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) yesterday called for the resignation of Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica in connection with the issuance of Sugar Order No. 3 that allows importation of 200,000 metric tons of refined sugar for industrial users.
UNIFED slammed the issuance of Sugar Order No. 3 by the Sugar Regulatory Administration that allows the importation of 200,000 metric tons of sugar, especially since it is the peak of the sugar milling season.
“This is appalling that the very agency that is supposed to protect us seems determined to kill the industry.” UNIFED president Manuel Lamata said.
Lamata also said that they have not been consulted on the matter, and while they knew that some planters’ groups agreed to the importation program, “they thought that SRA and the DA will also give in exchange, fertilizers subsidies at the very least.”
“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,” Lamata also said, adding that in due time “we will reveal and boycott that beverage company.”
While they have been patient with government’s “inaction” on the rising cost of fertilizers and other farm inputs, “because all resources are being channeled to pandemic measures,” Lamata said “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 they are appealing once again President Rodrigo Duterte to help them and fire SRA Administrator Serafica, claiming that he is working for the benefit of others, ”instead of us.”
“He (Serafica) is only there to protect the interests of the big industrials to the detriment of the Filipino people,” he stressed.
Former SRA board member Dino Yulo said “This is adding insult to injury,” stressing also that the issuance of the order is “very ill-timed.”
SRA justified the Sugar Order to stabilize rising cost of sugar and expected low productivity in sugar producing areas affected by Typhoon Odette.
However, 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.*
