Sugar body to be reorganized amid importation controversy —Marcos

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) will be reorganized amid the importation issue currently hounding it, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.

Interviewed during a PinasLakas vaccination event in Manila, Marcos gave updates on the investigation on the SRA order to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar that Malacañang said was illegal.

Marcos, who also heads the Department of Agriculture, had rejected the proposal to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar amid soaring prices.

According to him, the investigation on Sugar Order No. 4 will be conducted by Congress, but a reorganization of the SRA is likely to transpire within the week.

"Actually, ipinaubaya namin ang imbestigasyon sa House, sa legislature and even the Senate. Dahil ang iniintindi ko lang talaga is that hindi tayo tumagal na mayroon tayong shortage ng sugar, lalong-lalo na para sa mga industrial consumer," Marcos said.

(We'll let the House and Senate to conduct their investigation. My concern is that we will not experience a shortage of sugar especially for industrial consumers.)

"Because right now, they are starting to cut down the days of the week na nagtatrabaho and we are very worried of course about jobs. So ‘yun ang iniintindi ko talaga right now [that is my concern right now]," he added.

"So what we are going to do is that we are going to reorganize the SRA and as soon as that’s done — that should be done this week, before the end of this week," Marcos said.

After the reorganization, Marcos said he would have arrangements with industrial consumers, planters, millers, and sugar suppliers to address the issue on supply and prices.

The President earlier said the Philippines might need to import sugar in October of this year, but not the same volume proposed by the Sugar Board. —KBK, GMA News