Victorias Milling Company pledged to help traders in the food manufacturing industries by making available 45,000 sacks of bottler-grade sugar for soft drinks companies, Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez said.
“This is to avert a possible temporary halt in their operations that could result in the displacement of their workers,” Rodriguez said in a report from the Office of the Press Secretary Friday. “Victorias Milling also allotted 500,000 kilos of sugar for consignment in Kadiwa stores in the populated parts of the Visayas.”
VMC is an integrated raw and refined sugar company located in Barangay XVI, Victorias City in Negros Occidental.
On orders from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Rodriguez also facilitated the series of talks with owners of Robinsons Supermarket, SM Supermarket, Puregold Supermarket, and S&R Membership Shopping and they all agreed to the suggested retail price of P70 per kilo of sugar, from a high of P90 to P110 per kilo.
“The President lauded the selfless response from these businessmen who are sacrificing not just their own inventory but also their projected business profits for the sake of the ordinary Filipinos at this time when the country is besieged by many problems,” Rodriguez said. “This is a classic display of the indomitable Filipino spirit of ‘bayanihan’ and love of country.”
Rodriguez said SM stores have committed to sell their inventory on washed sugar at P70 per kilo while Robinsons Supermarket pledged to unload one million kilos of sugar, also at P70 per kilo.
“Puregold also committed to make available two million kilos of refined sugar at P70 per kilo. This will give ordinary Filipinos access to cheaper sugar with more than three million kilos available in the market next week,” he added.
To ensure that many consumers can avail of the cheap-priced sugar, Rodriguez said the Department of Trade and Industry will monitor the participating retailers’ compliance with the agreed purchase limit of one kilo per consumer “to prevent possible household hoarding by some enterprising consumers.”
Marcos also earlier met with members of the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers Inc. to discuss possible solutions to the country’s looming sugar supply shortage.
He is also eyeing direct importation by food manufacturers as part of emergency measures to address current industry concerns.
The president said Wednesday he would reorganize the Sugar Regulatory Administration as he seeks ways to address issues plaguing the sugar industry. ||
