By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) announced they would be including the issue of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) importation in their upcoming Labor Day Rally, with Secretary-General Wennie Sancho calling it a “labor issue.”
“It is an issue of the labor sector because it involves the employment of workers in the sugar industry,” he explained.
Sancho expressed his concern on the price of sugar, saying, “Low prices will affect the more than five million Filipinos dependent on the sugar industry.”
He said he would like to see a rise in sugar prices, noting, “If sugar prices are high, it will assure the livelihood of sugar workers.”
His position, however, contradicts previous statements made by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head, Atty. Anna Rosario Paner, and former chief Rafael Coscolluela, who both discussed the problems with high sugar prices.
Paner earlier wrote a letter to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), on behalf of the SRA, requesting a reduction in the retail price of sugar.
“The average retail price of refined sugar should at least be P50,” Paner stated.
She noted sugar is retailing around P56, which she called “expensive.”
Meanwhile, last month, Coscolluela said, “We need to accept the reality that Philippine sugar is expensive.”
“It will raise the price of products,” the former Negros Occidental governor explained. “The expected result is there will be less demand for sugar.”
He previously urged stakeholders to stop taking hardline positions while seeking a win-win solution, as suggested by Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol.
The group’s rally is set to take place on Monday, May 1./WDJ