SENATOR Juan Edgardo Angara expressed support to the call to settle the pressing issues on the importation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) hounding the sugar industry.
Angara, who was in Bacolod City Friday, April 28, for various engagements, said he will support whatever the recommendations of the Senate committees on agriculture and trade, commerce and entrepreneurship based on the result of joint-hearing on the impact of increasing HFCS importation to the sugar industry conducted last April 18.
Senate committee on agriculture chair Cynthia Villar has urged sugar leaders, agrarian reform beneficiaries, beverage firms, and concerned government agencies to talk together to find solutions.
Villar said the Sugar Regulatory Administration, Department of Agriculture, along with sugar producers and beverage firms especially Coca-Cola which uses more HFCS, could work on setting the volume and price of sugar “acceptable” to both sectors.
“We support whatever will help our sugar industry,” Angara said, adding that he is amenable to possible “win-win” solutions to be recommended by the committees.
The senator pointed out that aside from Negros, other provinces also rely heavily on sugar, which is a traditional industry.
“We will make sure that the committee report will get the support of the Senate,” he added.
During the Senate inquiry, Villar and committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship chair Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri also supported the measure to create a sugar stakeholders consultative council that will tackle matters pertaining to the sugar industry.
Zubiri, for his part, said he is optimistic that both parties will reach certain negotiations that would bring an end to the current woes in the sugar industry.
He even called on the Sugar Alliance of the Philippines as well as Negrense officials to withdraw the boycott of Coca-Cola products, a move that could strongly support the settlement message being pushed.
Angara said it is the choice of the consumers whether, or not, to boycott products using HFCS.
“Consumers are regionalistic thus, it is expected for them to support the local industries,” he added.
