BOC donates 4,000 MT of seized sugar to DA's Kadiwa

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) donated on Tuesday 4,000 metric tons, or 80,000 bags, of seized white sugar from Thailand to be sold at various Kadiwa stores.

In a statement, the BOC said Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban signed a deed of donation and acceptance.

Citing its records, the Customs said the donated white sugar arrived at the Port of Batangas on January 12, 2023, on board M/V Sunward "without the required Notice of Arrival."

The BOC-Port of Batangas then issued a warrant of seizure and detention against the subject sugar and M/V Sunward.

The seized shipment was later ordered forfeited in favor of the government through a decision dated April 14, 2023, according to the BOC.

The agency also cited Paragraph D.1 of Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Memorandum Circular No. 4, Series 2022-2023, mandating that "seized sugar with commercial value and capable of legitimate use may be disposed of by the BOC through donation to government institutions."

The BOC said that, on July 21, 2023, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno approved the proposed donation of 4,000 MT of refined sugar to the DA.

"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the DOF, DA, and SRA for your invaluable contributions, guidance, and unwavering support to BOC, which made this donation possible. We firmly believe that, through DA, this donation will reach various local communities and enable our fellow Filipinos to conveniently access sugar," Rubio said.

In a separate statement, the DA said the move was in compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to address the rising prices of basic commodities—particularly sugar—and achieve national food security.

According to the latest Supply and Demand Situation of the DA-Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the DA said the current sugar supply is more than enough to sustain existing demand.

As of July 16, 2023, there were 262,328.30 MT of raw sugar and 448,106.45 MT of refined sugar.

The DA’s Surveillance, Monitoring, and Enforcement Group said that, as of July 31, the retail price of refined sugar in Metro Manila markets ranged from P86 to P110 per kilo, washed sugar from P82 to P90, and a kilo of brown sugar cost between P78 and P90. — VBL, GMA Integrated News