ACE declares support for protesting high fructose corn syrup

Posted by watchmen
March 20, 2017
Posted in TOP STORIES

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Association of Chief Executives (ACE) of cities and towns in Negros Occidental issued a manifesto in support of the protest by sugar industry stakeholders against beverage companies and others who use high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in their products.
In a document released by ACE, they claim HFCS is slowly killing the sugar industry, which is composed of five million Filipinos and more than 700,000 laborers whose lives are directly and indirectly dependent on the sugar industry.
“Sugar is our lifeblood in Negros Occidental and we are at great risk of bleeding to death,” they said.
They pushed for regulations on the entry of HFCS, saying, “The sugar industry is already feeling its effects, evidenced by the drop in sugar prices lately.” They claim “it will lead to the industry’s demise if not immediately addressed.”
The group also called on Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to “support the sugar industry instead of siding with beverage makers.”
Earlier this week, Piñol said he wants the implementation of Sugar Order No. 3 deferred “pending consultations with soft drink makers.”
“There’s a problem with Sugar Order No. 3 by the SRA (Sugar Regulatory Administration) because it regulates the importation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which Coca-Cola uses in producing its soft drinks,” he explained. “Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola appealed to me, saying they were not properly consulted.”
“I have recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte to authorize me to hold in abeyance Sugar Order No. 3 pending proper consultations with stakeholders,” the agriculture secretary added.
However, SRA Administrator Anna Rosario Paner contradicted the claims and said all “necessary consultations” were completed.
Meanwhile, ACE also urged the public to join them in a March 20 protest in front of the Coca-Cola plant in Barangay Mansilingan.
They also called on a citywide boycott of all products using HFCS.
“Sugar is our life, let us protect it,” he said./WDJ

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