By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Sugar Alliance of the Philippines (SAP) said the upcoming senate hearings on high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which, in light of the Holy Week and the Lenten season, will be held on April 18 instead of April 10, will show the problems with sugar are a nationwide issue and not just a problem for Negros.
“The sugar problem is not only in Negros but in 10 other regions, and in more than 20 provinces,” said SAP Spokesperson, Atty. Dino Yulo.
The group is currently preparing for the hearings by meeting with stakeholders from around the country, set to join the anti-HFCS campaign and lobby in support of Sugar Order No. 3, which was enacted by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and regulates the importation of HFCS.
In reference to the change of schedule, Yulo noted, “This will give us more time to prepare.”
Meanwhile, United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) President Manuel Lamata expressed his skepticism of Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s integrity.
“We are not sure about his announcement that he has already accepted Sugar Order No. 3,” he said in a recent radio interview. “His pronouncements on social media are different.”
Piñol previously claimed members of the sugar industry had already been consulted on the matter, however, Lamata asserts, a meeting was never called nor were any documents released from the Department of Agriculture.
In terms of a proposed discussion with the agriculture secretary, Lamata said it is Piñol who should be calling the meeting./WDJ