MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has earned praises from several lawmakers for his efforts to bring down sugar prices.
This was after Robinsons Supermaket, SM Supermarket, and Puregold Price Club heeded Marcos' call to offer sugar to their consumers at a lower cost.
Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez' series of talks with owners of the country's leading supermarkets resulted in the agreement to reduce sugar prices to PHP70 per kg.
Reacting to the latest development, San Jose del Monte City Lone District Rep. Florida Robes said on Saturday that the consumers and farmers are "winning."
She noted that Marcos' initiatives to address concerns over the sugar supply in the country prove that smugglers and hoarders would never succeed.
“The series of determined moves that the President initiated to address an impending sugar crisis turned the tables against agricultural smugglers and food hoarders," said Robes, who chairs the House of Representatives' Committee on Good Government.
She also commended Marcos for rejecting the plan to import 300,000 metric tons (MT) of sugar, as well as for directing Rodriguez to inspect all Customs-bonded warehouses to check on the inventory of imported agricultural products.
The illegal signing of Sugar Order (SO) 4 directing the importation of 300,000 MT of sugar prompted Rodriguez, upon Marcos' directive, to order surprise visits to warehouses in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces.
Kabayan Rep. Ron Salo, in a separate statement, also commended Marcos' efforts to reduce the prices of sugar, saying it is "a highly welcome development and a great relief to the consumers."
"This was achieved without any importation even of a single kilo of sugar and without sacrificing the welfare of our local farmers, but by the decisive action of PBBM in invalidating SO 4 that sought to import 300K tons of sugar, and taking to task those responsible," Salo said. "Kudos to PBBM! This is a victory not only of his administration but of the entire nation."
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said Friday simultaneous operations were also conducted in Deparo, Caloocan City; Tondo and San Nicolas in Manila; Rosales, Pangasinan; San Fernando, Pampanga; Ibaan, Batangas; and Davao.
Robes lamented that authorities had found sacks of sugar amounting to more than PHP200 million in the warehouses located within her congressional district area and owned by Chinese-Filipino sugar trader Victor Teng Chua.
She said her husband, Mayor Arthur Robes, has already ordered an investigation into the two warehouses owned by Chua.
“I invited Mr. Chua to show up on Monday (August 22) for the continuation of congressional inquiry into the sugar importation controversy,” Robes said. (PNA)
