Rep. Javi Benitez Leads Push to Resuscitate Sugar Industry, Hosts Joint Public Inquiry in Negros Occidental

January 23, 2026

Responding to the urgent cries of local farmers and producers, Third District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez convened a high-level Public Consultation on the Significant Decline in Millgate Sugar Prices in Negros Occidental today, January 23, at Nature’s Village Resort, Talisay City. The joint inquiry was organized following Rep. Benitez’s filing of House Resolution No. 373, which called for a formal investigation into the drastic decline of millgate sugar prices and its far-reaching impact on agricultural communities. Rep. Benitez brought together the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives to provide a platform for stakeholders to demand policy reforms. In his welcome address, Rep. Benitez emphasized that the industry is facing an unprecedented emergency that threatens the livelihoods of thousands of Negrosanon families. "The sugar industry across the country is once again in a critical state," he stated. "The alarm has been sounded many times. Experts have warned of collapse. Stakeholders have cried out for help. Time is no longer on our side. This is an emergency. The stage of symptoms has passed. What the industry needs now is resuscitation.” He pointed to a compounding set of factors driving the crisis, including the alleged over-importation of refined sugar and proliferation of artificial sweeteners, and soaring costs for fertilizer and fuel. He then noted that while the global market outlook remains promising, local producers are trapped in a cycle of hardship exacerbated by El Niño and pest infestations. The consultation served as a massive show of force for the sugar sector, with key industry groups present, including the Confederation of Sugar Producers’ Associations (CONFED), United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED), National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), and Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (PANAYFED). Also in attendance were representatives from the Sugar Master Plan Foundation, Inc. (SMPFI), Philippine Sugar Millers Association (PSMA), and the Association of Sugar Planters (ASP), alongside several local cooperatives and agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) groups. Rep. Benitez was joined by Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform Chair Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chair Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, Rep. Albee Benitez, Rep. Manuel Frederick Ko, Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer, Rep. Dino Yulo, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez-Lansang, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, as well as local officials, and representatives from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) led by Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona. Furthermore, Rep. Benitez stressed that the inquiry’s primary goal is to revisit the SRA and legislative bodies to balance production and stabilize prices. "Our shared purpose is to find sustainable solutions that will secure the lifeline of the sugar industry," he said. "We till the same soil. We plant the same ‘patdan’. We live from the same industry. And no matter how diverse our roles may be, the challenges we face affect us on every level.” The findings from today’s consultation are expected to inform urgent legislative measures and administrative adjustments to safeguard the industry from further collapse. *

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