The Sugar Crisis in The Philippines 2022

The country has been struggling with a sugar shortage these past few months. According to the
data given by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), raw sugar production for 2022 was previously
projected to reach 2.1 million metric tons. However, the country missed its sugar production target for the
year due to various factors, including extreme weather events that damaged crops and sugar refineries,
and high fertilizer prices that reduced yields.
With the country’s sugar supply close to depletion, the retail prices of sugar in the market have
soared to P100 per kilo, double last year’s prices, worsening the country’s inflation woes. The current
price for a 50-kilo refined sugar is about P4,100.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., is doing his best in solving the crisis by means of Importation.
But along with the sugar crisis, raise the issue that the sugar shortage was allegedly an artificial crisis.
Well, in my own interpretation of the smuggled sugar raided by the Customs in Bulacan and Pampanga,
corruption might be involved. We can assume that there might be more warehouses somewhere in the
country… full of hoarded sugar. The fact that tons of sacks of refined sugar were smuggled alongside the
so-called “sugar shortage” could be a clear manifestation of corruption – planned sabotage for the new
administration.
However, President Marcos’s solution by means of importation is just short-term. I suggest he
must focus on long-term solutions such as boosting sugar production in our country. Even if it is not clear
whether a sugar crisis is happening, the Government should just have to assume that there is, and in that
manner, the government will be prepared if it ever happens.
Boosting sugar production is one of the long-term solutions that is needed. When there is enough
sugar in the country; importation won’t be necessarily needed, refined sugar prices would be affordable
for the people, and the economy will benefit because we could return to exporting sugar like we used to.
Who would have known, that in 2005, the Philippines was the ninth largest sugar producer in the world
and the second largest sugar producer among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
countries, after Thailand, according to Food and Agriculture Organization.
Nevertheless, with this issue of the sugar crisis in the Philippines, I commend President Marcos
and rate him 8/10, for his fast action in trying to solve the country’s alleged sugar shortage, particularly
his efforts in reaching out to the manufacturers and sugar producers, an action in the right direction.