MANILA – Another resolution seeking a Senate inquiry into the state of the Philippine sugar industry has been filed with Senator Risa Hontiveros calling for a review of key sugar laws and regulatory policies amid declining competitiveness and persistently high prices.
Hontiveros’ Senate Resolution No. 298, filed on Feb. 11, follows an earlier measure introduced by Senator Francis Pangilinan, adding momentum to calls in the chamber to reassess the direction of the sugar sector.
The resolution directs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reforms to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the implementation of the Sugar Industry Development Act and to review the charter and regulations of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
Hontiveros noted that the sugar industry directly employs about 700,000 workers and contributes an estimated PHP76 billion to PHP90 billion annually to the economy, while five to six million Filipinos depend on it indirectly for their livelihood.
Despite this footprint, she said, the sector continues to face low farm productivity, high production costs, and inefficient milling operations.
“The laws were meant to strengthen the sugar industry and improve the incomes of farmers and workers. But today, our sugar remains expensive, our mills lag behind, and our farmers are struggling to compete,” she said in a news release Thursday.
The resolution cited that while local production reached a four-year high in 2025, it met only 87 percent of domestic demand.
It added that Philippine refined sugar remains expensive relative to major producers such as Brazil, Thailand, and Colombia.
Beyond structural inefficiencies, the measure flagged the combined effects of pests, damage from Tropical Storm Tino, the fall in world sugar prices in late 2025, and the growing importation of sugar substitutes.
The resolution also pointed to reports from the SRA on the alleged misdeclaration of refined sugar entering as “Other Sugars (1702),” which could result in government revenue losses and weaken demand for locally produced sugar.
Hontiveros said retail prices have remained elevated despite authorized importation and the decline in global prices during the last quarter of 2025.
“Ang ating mga magsasaka ay namomroblema sa tumataas na cost pero mababa ang productivity. Habang patuloy namang nagdurusa ang mga konsyumer sa mataas na presyo ng asukal (Our farmers are burdened by rising costs but low productivity, while consumers continue to suffer from high sugar prices) The system is failing both farmers and consumers,” she said.
The resolution further underscored that SIDA, enacted in 2015, provides PHP2 billion annually since 2016 for productivity programs, infrastructure support, research and development of sugar by-products, human resource development, and financial assistance to small farmers. (PNA)