Maintaining Quality of Sugar Produced at Standards Set Forth by Foreign and Domestic Markets

December 23, 1975

LETTER OF INSTRUCTIONS NO. 354

 

WHEREAS, to strengthen the competitive position of the sugar industry in foreign markets and to ensure acceptability of raw and refined sugar in the domestic market, the quality of sugar produced must be maintained at standards set forth by foreign and domestic markets; cdt

WHEREAS, to attain the foregoing objective, there is an urgent necessity to improve warehousing facilities for longer storage and effect proper sugar analysis at the mills to prevent production of low quality sugar;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and direct:

1) The Sugar Quota Administration to issue the necessary directives to the sugar mills and refineries:

a. to reprocess deteriorated sugar stock;

b. to comply strictly with the provisions of SQA Circular Letter No. 3, Series of 1968-69 on the quality of sugar to be produced;

c. to improve their warehouse facilities to store sugar for longer periods.

2) The Philippine National Bank to liquidate only at full value sugar meeting the standards set under SQA Circular Letter No. 3, Series of 1968-69. cd

3) The Philippine Sugar Institute preferably with the assistance of sugar experts to:

a. determine the minimum warehousing specifications and facilities needed to store sugar for at least 6 months;

b. pinpoint mill warehouses not meeting these requirements;

c. determine improvements to be introduced per warehouse;

d. conduct regular analyses of sugar produced per sugar mill and/or prepare and implement alternative system of checking quality of sugar produced.

4) The Development Bank of the Philippines to extend long-term loans to these mills to improve their warehousing facilities.

5) The Philippine National Bank, the Philippine Exchange Company, Inc., the Sugar Quota Administration, the Philippine Sugar Institute and the Development Bank of the Philippines to work out the mechanics to implement the foregoing directives and submit regular reports on the implementation of the directives.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 23rd day of December, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Five.