By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

During a recent official visit to Bacolod City, Bukidnon Governor Jose Zubiri claimed multi-national companies are trying to spark a war between the sugar and corn industry, with the end goal of destroying the local sugar industry and setting up a high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) plant in the country.
He called for a meeting of Negros sugar industry stakeholders in May, at the end of the sugar season, to “do something about it as soon as possible.”
The governor also discussed Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, noting, “[He] has no right to negotiate with the beverage companies.”
“Why does he favor the multi-national corporations?” he asked.
Zubiri also discussed an earlier meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Bukidnon, where the president indicated his willingness to give soft drink companies the six months they said they needed in order to acquire the equipment to process more sugar, adding, “After that, they will not be allowed to import [HFCS] anymore, otherwise they will have to pay huge tariff charges.”
Bukidnon is the second largest producer of sugar after Negros.
Meanwhile, Sugar Alliance of the Philippines (SAP) spokesperson, Atty. Emilio Yulo, questioned when the said six months begins.
“It should start when the milling season starts,” he said./WDJ