Workers stack sacks of locally produced sugar at a sugar retailer at the Marikina Public Market in Marikina City on May 16, 2023. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — A sugar producer's group supports President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr's plan to revive the Philippine Sugar Corporation.
PhilSuCor is a government-owned and controlled corporation that was ordered abolished in 2018 due to supposed overlapping functions with the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
But the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines disagrees.
"The SRA dwells on establishing sugar orders and guidelines in which balance out the farmers, millers, consumers and make sure the prices are stable, that's the job and function of SRA," Unifed president Manuel Lamata told ANC's "Headstart" Friday.
"The LANDBANK is the one supposed to be able to help the sugar industry, all agricultural industries, it is not doing its job, zero," he added.
For Lamata, PhilSuCor was doing its job.
"For the little money that it had, it did help and now since we 90 percent or 95 percent of our sugar lands are CARPED or 1 hectare beneficiaries, this is where this corporation can really come and help because these little farmers also need little things," he said.
"It is very opportune that we should revive this corporation."
PhilSuCor was formed in 1983 during the leadership of Marcos Jr's father and namesake to provide funding for the acquisition, rehabilitation, and/or expansion of sugar mills, refineries, and other related facilities.
In a video message Wednesday, Marcos Jr. said the revival of PhilSuCor was among the suggestions raised to boost sugar production and strengthen the local sugar industry.
He earlier approved the additional importation of up to 150,000 metric tons of sugar in an effort to stabilize the commodity’s price amid continued inflation.