PhilSuCor revival eyed after PBBM meets sugar industry stakeholders

By Vince Lopez

THE government is reviving and changing the Philippine Sugar Corporation (PhilSuCor) to help finance sugar farmers and cooperatives, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with industry stakeholders in Malacañang on Wednesday.

The President confirmed this in a video released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), as he became the first sitting Chief Executive to meet with the sugar industry, partly owing to his role as concurrent Agriculture Secretary.

Mr. Marcos also said the government had identified areas that “we should now start categorizing as sugarland.”

Based on industry data, the current area planted to sugarcane is around 380,000 hectares.

Mr. Marcos also reiterated the need to import 150,000 metric tons of sugar, which he approved this week, adding that he and the stakeholders also agreed with the importation schedule.

“We agreed on an importation schedule and how we will open up the importation to all of the traders,” the President said.

“One of the suggestions that came up