• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Reiterating their full support for the present members of the Sugar Regulatory Administration Sugar Board led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, the United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) issued a statement condemning in strongest terms the call of the Sugar Council and their allies for the replacement of the Sugar Board members.
In a statement, UNIFED chairman Manuel Lamata stressed that the Sugar Board being blamed for the drop in sugar prices is “the same Sugar Board that gave them very good prices in the past two years.”
Lamata maintained that the current Sugar Board has fulfilled its commitments—raising productivity, expanding support through SIDA, and delivering tangible gains across the industry.
These gains are real and should not be disregarded, the UNIFED president said, explaining also that the recurring cycle of strong prices followed by sharp declines shows that while progress has been made, structural gaps still remain in the system.
This is not a question of effort, but of system design. If gaps in data, market coordination, efficiency, and transparency are not fully addressed, the industry will continue to face the same cycle in the years ahead, Lamata said.
Stressing they were not surprised by the call for ouster, he said certain groups have consistently opposed the current administration, while refusing to engage constructively in stakeholder consultations.
In a manifesto, the Sugar Council, represented by CONFED, NFSP, PanayFed, industry labor unions, agrarian reform associations, and industry organizations, stakeholders reiterated their call for the replacement of Sugar Board members that approves and signs all sugar orders authorizing the importation of refined sugar, as its abuse is being blamed for the drop in the prices of locally produced sugar.
For alleged neglect of duty, inefficiency, grave misconduct, and loss of confidence, the manifesto seeks the replacement of SRA head Pablo Luis Azcona, and Sugar Board Members Dave Sanson and Mitzi Mangwag, aside from the Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel.
Lamata pointed out that replacing leadership will not resolve these issues.
Any new leadership will inherit the same structural challenges, and without strengthening the system itself, the outcome will not change, he said.
At the same time, they cannot ignore the continued actions of the Sugar Council, whose repeated calls for import bans, sweeping controls, and leadership changes have contributed to division and uncertainty without offering credible, long-term solutions. “This is the same accusation they are throwing at the present Board when records will show that these groups have refused calls to attend stakeholder consultations,” Lamata emphasized.
For this reason, we call on the Sugar Council to step down, he added.
At a time when the industry requires unity, stability, and a clear path forward, continued agitation without structural reform is counterproductive and risks further harm to both farmers and consumers. We reaffirm that farmers must be supported in the immediate term. But we must also continue strengthening the foundations of the industry—through better data systems, clearer market signals, improved efficiency, and greater transparency—so that we can finally break the cycle of instability, Lamata said.*
