THE “battle is won” over the importation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) believed to be killing the sugar industry, following the swift action of President Rodrigo Duterte directing the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to regulate its entry.
This was the statement on Sunday, February 19, of lawyer Archie Baribar, spokesperson of pro-Duterte group Kilusang Pagbabago-Negros Island Region (KP-NIR), who was vocal in leading the Negros lobby with Malacañang.
On February 17, the SRA issued a sugar order on the issuance of clearance for the release of imported HFCS and chemically pure fructose in whatever intensity or form, a press release from the SRA over the weekend said.
Under the said order, the SRA said that an importer or consignee of imported HFCS must be an international trader duly-registered with the SRA at the time of the application for clearance for release.
Applicants for the release of imported HFCS and chemically pure fructose must also submit to the Regulation Department of SRA in Quezon City various requirements, which must all be complied with, before the application can be accepted for processing.
The sugar order further provides that the clearance for the release shall indicate the classification of the fructose as either “B” for domestic market, “C” for reserved, and “D” for world market.
Non-compliance with the provisions of the sugar order shall subject the importer or consignee to the penalties provided under Sugar Order 10, as amended by Sugar Order 10-A, without prejudice to any other administrative and/or legal action that SRA may purse, the press release added.
Welcome development
Baribar said they welcomed the positive development as he thanked Duterte for listening to the concerns of the sugar stakeholders and for directing the SRA to issue an order for the regulation of the HFCS entry.
“The President’s directive to study the possibility of imposing higher tariff on HFCS and the SRA’s sugar order to regulate HFCS importation is a big victory to the entire sugar industry,” he added. “This is a clear manifestation that change has indeed arrived in the sugar industry.”
During a meeting with sugar industry leaders in Davao City last Thursday, Duterte committed to stop sugar smuggling and directed the National Economic Development Authority to discuss with industry leaders the measures how to stop HFCS importation, including the possibility of increasing tariff on the commodity.
Early in January, the KP-NIR and the Sugar Solidarity Against HFCS (SSA-HFCS) submitted to the Office of the President a position paper calling for an immediate stop to or the strict regulation of HFCS importation.
The SSA-HFCS is composed of KP-NIR, agrarian reform beneficiaries and small sugarcane farmers associations, farm workers organizations, National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines, and Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations.
“In behalf of all the planters federations who were at the forefront of the fight against HFCS importation, I am grateful to President Duterte and Administrator Paner for listening to and addressing the concerns of the sugar industry,” said Enrique Rojas, president of NFSP.
SRA’s latest sugar order and President Duterte’s instruction to the Neda to study the possible increase of the tariff for HFCS imports assure the industry stakeholders that the present administration looks after the welfare of the sugar industry and of Philippine agriculture, in general, Rojas added.
“However, this is the first time we have seen a sugar order with a 15-day moratorium on its implementation. Since it takes only three days for a shipment from China to reach the Philippines, we hope SRA can rectify this matter and make the sugar order immediately implementable so that there will be no chance for additional HFCS importation to enter the country,” Rojas pointed out.
Hernane Braza, secretary-general of Nacusip-TUCP, said the sugar industry looks forward to the immediate implementation of the measures against HFCS importation.
Ranie Lava, former chairman of the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers, representing the agrarian reform beneficiaries in the anti-HFCS group, said the development showed the Duterte administration’s genuine concern and compassion for marginalized sugarcane farmers like him.
“President Duterte’s pronouncement on participatory governance is not merely sloganeering but is it truly alive in our country. We are grateful that, under this administration, the voice of the poor Filipino masses is heard and acted upon in the crafting of national policies,” he said.