The confiscated smuggled sugar will be sold at low prices instead of giving them out for free as it can badly affect small sugar farmers, according to Malacañang.

On Tuesday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. approved the recommendation of the Sugar Regulatory Board (SRA) to sell the smuggled sugar at Kadiwa stores for ₱70 per kilo.

According to the latest price monitoring report of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Sugar is currently priced at around ₱86 to ₱110.

Based on the statement of PCO, the chief executive ordered DA and SRA to coordinate with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other government agencies to ensure that the said sugar is on par with the food safety act and other regulations.

Confiscated agricultural products like smuggled sugar may be donated to another government agency or declared for official use, or sold at a public auction, according to Sec. 1141 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act of 2016.

The seized products may also be given to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Although if these are done, sugar prices may decrease and the local sugar industry may suffer.

“Naisin mang ipamigay ito ng libre direkta sa mga nangangailangan, kailangang isaalang-alang ang industriya ng asukal, kasama ang mga maliliit na magsasaka. Ang pagbigay ng libre ng mga asukal ay mag-reresulta sa artipisyal na pagbagsak ng presyo na ikalulugi ng mga kababayan nating nasa industriya ng asukal.” the statement said.

One of the aims of the Kadiwa center program by the DA is to give the public affordable basic goods compared to the prices in common markets.