Manila, Feb. 20 -- To make the Philippines fully self-sufficient in sugar, administration-backed senatorial candidate Abby Binay on Thursday proposed to halt sugar imports during harvest season to protect local farmers.

In a press conference of the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Dumaguete City, Binay said that by eliminating import dependence, the Philippines could empower its farmers, create jobs, and even become a sugar exporter.

"Let us make a clear policy na kapag panahon ng ani, panahon ng harvest, no importation. That has to be clearly in black and white (Let us make a clear policy that during harvest time, there would be no importation. That has to be clearly in black and white)," she said.

Binay proposed not just a governm...