Friday, November 14, 2008 SK farmers hit Customs for seizing muscovado product
PRODUCERS of muscovado, one of the end products of sugarcane, in Sultan Kudarat province hit Wednesday the Bureau of Customs (BOC) in Manila for withholding for about eight months now a volume of 22.5 metric tons despite proper documents.
Cornelio E. Castañeda Jr., chair of the Sultan Kudarat Muscovado Farmers and Millers Corp. (SKMFMC), said the muscovado product worth nearly P1 million remains impounded after the consignee, Upland Marketing Foundation Inc., did not heed alleged bribery demands from erring Customs officials.
Upland Marketing, which is a group of non-government organizations, bought the muscovado from SKMFMC, which has some 150 farmer-members, for distribution to big department stores in Metro Manila such as Robinsons, Shoe Mart and Glorietta.
Castañeda said that Customs officials seized the container van of muscovado, an unrefined brown sugar, after the 18 other container vans carried by an unidentified vessel contained purported smuggled goods, among them rice.
The shipment originated at the Makar wharf in General Santos City.
"Our muscovado shipment has complete papers. The other cargoes are believed contraband items and unfortunately ours was not spared," Castañeda said.
He blamed corruption at the Customs bureau for the continued impounding of the muscovado shipment.
"As the paper would pass hands, there's a need to [allegedly] accompany it with grease money," Castañeda said.
Sun.Star failed to get a comment from the Customs bureau, which in the past has been hobbled by accusations of corruption.
Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto T. Mangudadatu and his father, Representative Pax S. Mangudadatu (Sultan Kudarat first district), have intervened already to help in the release of the seized muscovado product, Castañeda said.
The farmer leader urged the BOC to immediately release the product because it is purely made in the Philippines and has proper documentation.
The muscovado in Sultan Kudarat, which is centered in the municipality of President Quirino, is a local flagship enterprising venture listed under the "One Town, One Product" program promoted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Nelly Nita N. Dillera, business development division chief of DTI-Central Mindanao, said in a separate interview that the muscovado shipment is already cleared for released by the legal division of the BOC in Manila.
"But another division is not releasing it for reasons unknown," Dillera added.
She revealed that the regional Trade department has brought the farmers' problem with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council but unfortunately the BOC does not sit in the council.
Dillera expressed hopes the Customs bureau will soon release the seized product before it will expire.
Muscovado has a shelf life of one year.
The product was seized last March 8 at the Manila International Container Port, Dillera recalled. (BSS)
