Palace: Proposed amount of sugar to be imported is 150,000 metric tons

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles on Thursday confirmed that the proposed amount of sugar that will be imported is 150,000 metric tons.

At a Palace briefing, Cruz-Angeles was asked about President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s meeting with Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and other sugar stakeholders where a consensus was supposedly reached on importing 150,000 metric tons of sugar.

"'Yun po ang proposed quantity for importation gawa nga ng pangangailangan ng mga industrials na tinatawag ng ating Pangulo, sila po ang gumagamit ng commercial quantities, in large commercial quantities ng asukal and some jobs are dependent on their continued production," she said.

(That's the proposed quantity for importation given the need of the industrials. They are the ones who use sugar in commercial quantities and some jobs are dependent on their continued production.)

"Yes po, kinoconfirm natin na 'yun ang proposed amount, 150,000 metric tons," she added.

(We are confirming that the proposed amount for importation is 150,000 metric tons.)

Asked when will the importation will be, Cruz-Angeles said she has no information yet.

Zubiri earlier said it was acknowledged that there was a need to import sugar but not as much as the 300,000 metric tons indicated in the sugar order which Malacañang had branded as "illegal." — RSJ, GMA News