Unabated sugar importation will hit Negros like a “tsunami”

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson disagreed with the opinion of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that “there is no need for a sugar order in the importation of sugar”.

Lacson told reporters on Wednesday that unabated sugar importation will hit Negros like a “tsunami”.

On Tuesday, Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said that the opinion of Bersamin is not acceptable to her.

Hontiveros was here Tuesday afternoon and made a courtesy call to Lacson.

She pointed out that “it will cause unabated entry, not only of imported sugar, but also of other agricultural products.”

Sharing the stand of Hontiveros, Lacson said “as a province, we do not agree with that.”

“I think it’s really the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) who should regulate the importation,” he stressed.

Lacson added that it will really affect the farm gate price, as he predicted that there will not even be buyers of locally produced sugar, because “we can import and sell sugar here.”

“It will be like a tsunami hitting us. If that’s the opinion of the executive secretary I expect the sugar leaders to go against that,” Lacson said.

Hontiveros also said she will push for more hearings on sugar smuggling, which she had exposed in previous months, following the importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar based on the Sugar Order No. 6 issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration.

Hontiveros had earlier flagged what she called the “government-sponsored” smuggling of sugar, following the issuance of SO 6.