Negros Occidental court stops gov’t plan to import 200,000 metric tons of sugar

A Negros Occidental court has ordered the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to stop its plan to import 200,000 metric tons of sugar, meant to augment a projected shortfall and stabilize prices.

In a two-page ruling dated February 11, 2022, the Regional Trial Court Branch 73 in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) “enjoining and restraining” the SRA from implementing SRA Sugar Oder No. 3, series of 2021-22.

“This ex-parte temporary restraining order shall be effective for a period of 20 days from the issuance hereof,” the order, penned by Executive Judge Reginald Fuentebella, read.

The Sugar Order No. 3, series of 2021-2022, allows the importation of 200,000 metric tons of standard and bottler’s grade refined sugar “considering the shortfall on the ending balance of refined sugar.” 

The SRA issued the order after assessing the damage caused by Typhoon Odette to sugarcane crops, sugar stocks at warehouses, as well as facilities and equipment of sugar mills and refineries in key sugar milling districts.

Due to the damage caused by the typhoon, the agency recalibrated its pre-final crop estimate of raw sugar production to 2.072 million MT down from the 2.099 million MT pre-final crop estimate prior to the onslaught of Odette.

The SRA said the importation of 200,00 MT of refined sugar will cover the shortfall on the supply and “will leave the country with enough buffer stock to tide over until the start of the next milling season.”

The Negros Occidental court, however, ruled in favor Rural Sugar Planters Association, Inc., which asserted that the importation in question “will bring about grave injustice, untold irreparable injury, losses and damages to the sugar industry that has been devastated by Typhoon Odette since this will negatively impact the price of sugar.”

Sought for comment, SRA Administrator Hermenigildo Serafica said that “subject to the advice of the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel on the pending case for issuance of an injunction, the SRA shall hold in abeyance any official statement or act pertaining to importation and shall yield to the court's order, in accordance with the sub judice rule.”

“This is without prejudice to any legal action which the SRA may thereafter undertake. Stakeholders are continually assured that the SRA is complying with its mandate under existing laws, rules and regulations. Its end in view is toward addressing the needs of the sugarcane industry for all concerned sectors under its authority and jurisdiction,” Serafica said. — BM, GMA News