The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) called Sunday, Feb. 6, for the resignation of Sugar Regulatory Administrator, Hermenegildo Serafica, in connection with the issuance of Sugar Order No. 3 that allows the importation of 200,000 metric tons of refined sugar for industrial users.
Unifed criticized the issuance of the order, especially since it is the peak of the sugar milling season.
“It is appalling that the very agency that is supposed to protect us seems determined to kill the industry,” Unifed president Manuel Lamata said.
“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 said, adding that, in due time, “we will reveal and boycott that beverage company.”
Lamata said they are appealing once again to President Rodrigo Duterte to help them, and claimed that Serafica “is working for the benefit of others, instead of us.”
“He (Serafica) is only there to protect the interests of 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 that the issuance of the order is “very ill-timed.”
The SRA justified the sugar importation so as to stabilize the rising cost of sugar, saying it expected low productivity in sugar producing areas affected by Typhoon Odette.
However, Yulo said it is ironic that while the clamor for high price of sugar comes from small vendors, “the ones that will clearly benefit in this importation are industrial users, especially bottling companies that have been provided half of the import quota.”
While they have been patient with government’s “inaction” on the rising cost of fertilizer 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 Secretary William Dar, is not going to help any sector except one – the big industrial users.”
“Mr. President, we are once again appealing that you help us and put a stop to these machinations by SRA and the DA. They are supposed to protect industry stakeholders but all these moves point to one thing, they are determined to kill the industry,” Lamata added.
Unifed is one of the biggest federations of sugar producers in the country. Ironically, Serafica used to be one of their members, it added. — GB
