MANILA, Philippines — All lawmakers in the Senate are junking the economic managers’ plan to open up the sugar industry to importation as such a move runs contrary to President Duterte’s thrust towards food security. In a resolution, 22 senators unanimously urged the Executive department not to pursue the planned liberalization of the sugar industry with the end in view of safeguarding the welfare of sugar farmers and industry workers in more than 20 provinces. Senate Resolution 213 was signed by all 22 lawmakers, except Sen. Lito Lapid who is on official business trip abroad and Sen. Leila de Lima who is still detained. “Instead of focusing their (economic managers) sights on liberalizing the sugar industry, I suggest that they help us by ensuring the restoration of the full SIDA (Sugar Industry Development Act) budget in order to make our industry competitive globally,” he said. If the sugar industry collapses as a result of liberalization, poverty incidence in the provinces will increase and they will become the hotbed of insurgency and criminality.

Source: Philippine Star November 12, 2019 16:14 UTC