Federations welcome Coca-Cola’s commitment to use Negros sugar

BACOLOD CITY— The Sugar Council welcomed Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines’ (CCEAP) assurance that it would use sugar produced in Negros but called on the company to expand its commitment to locally sourced sugar nationwide.

“We welcome Coca-Cola’s commitment to use 100 percent locally produced premium refined sugar in Negros, but we appeal to CCEAP to expand that commitment to Filipino sugar sourced throughout the country,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The council, composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (CONFED), the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP) and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (PANAYFED), was responding to a CCEAP statement issued on Oct. 5.

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“In fact, this explicitly reinforces the core argument we raised in our September 23, 2026, joint appeal that the use of locally sourced raw materials in manufacturing directly supports Filipino sugar farmers, millers, refiners, industrial workers, transporters and agricultural communities,” the council said.

While CCEAP has highlighted its nearly eight-decade history in Bacolod, Filipino sugarcane farmers and laborers need a broader national picture to assess the health and security of their livelihoods, the council said.

It noted that CCEAP’s recent statement focused heavily on its Bacolod operations but did not disclose the actual volume of sugar it uses.

More importantly, the council said the company had yet to answer a question it previously raised: How does the importation of 16.98 million liters of finished Coca-Cola products from Indonesia affect domestic production and demand for locally refined sugar?

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As the country’s largest industrial buyer of locally produced sugar, CCEAP’s sourcing decisions have a significant impact on the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos, the council said.

“During Crop Year 2025–2026, our sugarcane farmers already suffered billions of pesos in foregone revenue due to the over-importation of refined sugar—leaving them without vital capital to combat rising fuel costs, skyrocketing fertilizer prices and devastating red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestations,” it said.

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The council added that importing finished products shuts out both domestic sugar and local labor from the production process.

“To move forward in a spirit of genuine partnership and to give Filipino stakeholders a complete picture of the market, we call on CCEAP to prioritize Filipino sugar not only in Negros but throughout the country,” the council said.