Local sugar industry stakeholders fear the revocation of a Sugar Regulatory Administration order that regulates the entry of high fructose corn syrup or HFCS in the country, if SRA board member Hermenegildo Serafica takes over as the new administrator.
Serafica is being groomed to replace Ana Rosario Paner, who has resigned as SRA chief.
Wennie Sancho, convenor of the Save the Sugar Industry Movement, and Hernane Braza, secretary-general of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines based in Negros Island, expressed apprehension that Serafica might lift Sugar Order No. 3 on the order of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol.
“The new [SRA] administration may become a ‘puppet’ of the Department of Agriculture, which has been tagged of favoring multinational softdrink manufacturers,” the groups said.
Piñol had locked horns with the sugar barons of Negros after the Agriculture chief allegedly lobbied in favor of Coca Cola FEMSA Philippines and Pepsi Cola to allow the entry of high fructose corn syrup in the country.
Piñol had proposed to retract Sugar Order 3 because big businesses were not included in the consultation process, the sugar groups said.
“There is a problem with Sugar Order No. 3 of SRA because it will regulate the importation of HFCS,” Piñol told reporters previously. “Now, Coca Cola at Pepsi Co. are appealing to me because they were not properly consulted.”
“They came to me. My recommendation to the President [Rodrigo Duterte] is for him to authorize me to hold in abeyance SO 3, pending proper consultations with the stakeholders,” the DA chief added.
Piñol even said the “rich and spoiled brat” hacienderos of Negros Occidental, who have ties with former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, masterminded the public demonstration staged against him for siding with the softdrink manufacturers.
In her speech in Bacolod on Monday, the SRA’s Paner admitted there is “massive pressure” from other high-ranking officials of the government to allow the multinational companies to import the HFCS from China.
“The challenges during my administration became apparent during the height of the HFCS issue. I was determined to do something over the rampant importation of HFCS,” Paner said.
“I fought HFCS importation with everything I’ve got to the point of displeasing the Department of Agriculture (DA), our mother agency, the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and the DOF (Department of Finance),” she added.
“I cannot describe to you the kind of pressure hurled at me to allow the importation of HFCS. But I took a hard position against HFCS, which I am obviously paying for now,” Paner said.
“But I do not regret what I did. Because have the unhampered importation of HFCS been allowed the effects of last year’s importation would have been irreversible,” she added.
Meanwhile, Piñol said that his recommendation for Serafica as new SRA chief will stay despite reports that the latter was involved in the hiring of “overpaid” consultant.
“That’s a presidential prerogative. It was the president who said it was exorbitant, who am I to question that?” Piñol said.
“We have already recommended and we have not withdrawn our recommendation. I will not withdraw, the endorsement stands,” he said, adding that Finance Secretary Sonny Domiguez and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has also endorsed Serafica.
The DA chief also revealed that it was Serafica and lawyer Rolly Beltran who have exposed the “anomalous” contract, noting that both SRA board members claimed they were not briefed properly on the nature of the deal.
Piñol also said he would not revoke SO 3, saying that Coke or any other corporation will not pressure him.
“At this point in time, what leader in his right mind would allow the importation [of HFCS] when prices are low and complaining sugar farmers don’t see any reason why we should import,” he said.
