SUGAR importation is not a standing policy of the Marcos administration but a tool to stabilize supply and prices when needed, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said Friday.Speaking at the 72nd Philippine Sugar Technologists Association (PhilSuTech) Annual National Convention in Cebu, Tiu Laurel said the government resorts to imports when there is a temporary supply shortfall to prevent sharp price swings and protect consumers without undermining local producers.
He said the government is further refining its guidelines for future sugar imports, which will be presented to industry stakeholders for consultation.
The approach is aimed at keeping the domestic sugar market stable while giving local producers room to become more competitive.
“Our fundamental policy remains clear. We want a Philippine sugar industry that is stronger, more productive, more competitive, and more self-reliant,” Tiu Laurel said.
The agriculture chief cited several challenges confronting the industry, including the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), high production and input costs, labor shortages, limited access to technology and financing, and climate change.
Following first lady Liza Araneta Marcos’ visit to Negros, government officials and industry stakeholders agreed to create a National RSSI Task Force to coordinate efforts against the pest.
The task force will be led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), with support from other government agencies, farmer groups, millers, refiners, distillers, and workers.
“This will unify and consolidate all RSSI-related efforts,” Tiu Laurel said.
He added that the task force would help ensure farmers are properly informed about government assistance programs and appropriate measures to control the pest.
For 2027, the DA has allocated P300 million to establish laboratories or incubation centers capable of producing biological control agents in sugar-producing municipalities, in preparation for a possible resurgence of RSSI.
Tiu Laurel also urged the industry to use its current challenges as opportunities to modernize, citing mechanization as a response to labor shortages, climate-smart agriculture to address weather risks, and greater use of science and technology to improve productivity.
“When we see low productivity, let us see an opportunity for science, technology, and yes, a little more innovation than we have had in the past,” he said.
Government and industry efforts should go beyond helping farmers cope with difficult production seasons and instead strengthen the sector’s long-term resilience, Tiu Laurel noted.
“We have to build an industry that can anticipate problems, adapt quickly, and come out stronger than this,” he said.
