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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Monday, April 24, 2017
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BACOLOD City – The Coca-Cola FEMSA Philippines, Inc. bottling plant in Barangay Mansilingan will reportedly increase its use of locally produced sugar.
But it will not do much for the sugar industry if the rest of Coke’s plants continue to use and import the highly criticized alternative sweetener high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), according to Rep. Alfredo Benitez.
Coca-Cola’s local bottling facility is expanding (there is a P850-million budget for it) and will double its use of locally sourced sugar soon, plant manager Bernard Engada told the local press.
Engada told local journalists who were taken to a tour of the facility on April 21 that they had been producing beverages containing 100-percent locally sourced sugar since they opened in 1998.
Engada did not say how much cane sugar they are using exactly. He said he was not authorized to disclose such information.
But Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) said, “When we sell, we don’t just sell to the Bacolod market, we sell to all.”
What the sugar industry wants is for the entire beverage company to prioritize locally produced sugar over HFCS, he stressed.
Benitez was one of the 15 House representatives from sugar-producing provinces who sought an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the impact of the importation, use and sale of HFCS on the sugar industry.
Senate held a similar inquiry on April 18.
Led by Sen. Cynthia Villar, agriculture committee chairwoman, the hearing led to the planned creation of a committee that will work with producers and large-scale consumers on matters affecting the sugar industry.
The consultative body will speak with stakeholders and users to come up with a plan on how to best help the sugar industry and address concerns of sugar users, like ample supply and pricing.
Coca-Cola now acknowledges the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s Sugar Order No. 3, which imposes strict regulations on the importation of HFCS, said Benitez, who was present at the hearing./PN
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