MANILA — Soaring sugar prices are also taking a toll on sweetened snacks and drinks that are often sold in roadside convenience (sari-sari) stores, a member of a group of sari-sari stores and carinderia owners said.

Owners of sari-sari stores now have to fork over more cash to spend for sugary goods – such as soft drinks and pastries – as suppliers increased their prices, Rosalie Gregorio, a Pasay chapter member of the Philippine Association of Stores and Carinderia Owners said.

These goodies are often staples of students who look to get a quick snack before heading home from school, as in-person classes started across the country this month.

A 750-milliliter bottle of a soda drink good for three to four glasses now costs P30 from P25, Gregorio said, noting that prices of fruit drinks sold in stand-up pouches also increased.

Prices of cupcakes and biscuits, and powdered drinks such as 3-in-1 coffee and milk are also affected by hiking sugar prices, Gregorio added.

"Eh alam naman po nila kasi halos lahat ng tindahan pare-pareho ang presyo, Lalo na ngayon nagsimula ang pasukan, pambaon po nila sa schools," Gregorio said.

Sari-sari stores, often found on neighborhood roadsides, usually get their supply from supermarkets and soft drink warehouses.

Brands such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and RC Cola previously said they were facing a shortage of premium refined sugar, as prices soared to as much as P100 per kilogram.