By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Both the Negros Occidental Provincial Board and Bacolod City’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) passed resolutions expressing opposition to the planned liberalization of the sugar industry.

Provincial Board Member Manuel Frederick Ko, who authored the legislative body’s resolution, said the move would “open the [floodgates] to [the] unabated, massive unregulated entry of sugar.”

The resolution itself echoed sentiment earlier made by Sugar Regulatory Administration representative for planters, Atty. Emilio ‘Dino’ Yulo III, saying such a move would “spell the demise of the local sugar industry” and “foment widespread social unrest.”

The policy also claimed “hundreds of thousands of stakeholders, particularly the agrarian reform beneficiaries, small farmers, and sugar farm workers” would be “economically dislocated.”

Aside from the domestic sugar industry, the Bacolod City SP resolution forecast deregulating importation would result in the collapse of local economies dependent on the commodity, including both Negros provinces.

The resolution, which was authored by City Councilors Caesar Distrito and Cindy Rojas, also reiterated statements made by Yulo, suggesting the government “go after greedy traders and retailers.”

The city officials also contended, “There are retailers that sell sugar at a higher price even though the price in other retail stores have already gone down.”/DGB, WDJ