Sugar Federations Welcome Coca-Cola’s Commitment to Use 100% Locally Produced Premium Refined Sugar in Negros

The Sugar 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)—acknowledges the October 5, 2026 press statement issued by Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP) regarding its Negros operations.

“We welcome Coca-Cola’s commitment to use 100% 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 today, Oct. 7.

“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,” they added.

While CCEAP celebrates its nearly eight-decade history in Bacolod, Filipino sugarcane farmers and laborers require the complete national picture to understand the true health and security of their livelihoods.

CCEAP’s recent statement focuses heavily on its Bacolod operations but fails to disclose actual sugar volumes. More critically, it leaves unanswered the urgent question we previously raised: How does the 16.98 million liters of finished Coke products imported from Indonesia affect domestic production and local refined-sugar demand?

As the country’s largest industrial buyer of locally produced sugar, CCEAP’s choices impact upon the economic survival of millions of Filipinos. 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. Importing finished products completely shuts out domestic sugar and domestic labor from the production line.

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.*