By CESAR JOLITO III

A labor and industry advocate has warned that the continued liberalization of sugar imports could lead to the collapse of the local sugar industry, threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers in the Negros Island Region and other sugar-producing areas nationwide.

In a statement issued yesterday, Wennie Sancho, convenor of the Save the Sugar Industry Movement (SAVE-SIM), said the steady decline in mill gate sugar prices — attributed to the influx of imported sugar — has placed the domestic industry under severe strain.

Sancho cautioned that implementing a sugar import liberalization scheme without adequate safeguards could result in widespread economic displacement, particularly among sugar workers and their families who rely heavily on the industry for survival.

“The unrestricted entry of imported and subsidized sugar is disastrous. It could lead to the death of local sugar production and the eventual collapse of the sugar industry,” Sancho said.

He urged the national government to immediately reassess the policy and consider its long-term impact on local economies, especially in sugar-dependent regions.

According to Sancho, any trade policy should strike a balance between economic growth and the protection of workers whose livelihoods are at risk.

SAVE-SIM also called for timely government intervention, including support programs for affected workers and concrete measures to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of the domestic sugar sector.

Sancho appealed for a comprehensive review of the sugar import liberalization scheme and stressed the need for collaboration among government agencies, industry stakeholders and labor groups to address the challenges facing the sector.

“To all stakeholders in the sugar industry, we must speak with one voice,” Sancho said.

“In solidarity, we should firmly oppose policies that endanger our workers, our communities and the future of the local sugar industry,” he added./CJ, WDJ