The country’s sugar industry is one of the flagship boosters of the economy even today. Not only did it start a revolution in the trading market, it also placed the Philippines in the limelight for being one of the top sugar-producing nations for decades.
Today, let’s learn about the rich history of the sugar industry as we discover its roots and how it grew over the years.
The Entry into Mindanao Shares
Sugarcane first entered the Philippines two to four thousand years before the Christian era in the 1570s, from the Celebes Sea, and through the Mindanao region. Sugarcane plants spread throughout Luzon and Visayas during the 16th century, while the first juice extraction method was introduced when Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippine shores.
Extracting juice from sugarcane evolved from hand-induced pressure to foot-operated levers to vertical wooden rolls and Carabao-powered extractors.
The Shortage in Manila and the Prevalence in Neighboring Provinces
Although Filipinos have manufactured crystalized sugar using primitive methods, shortages occurred in 1572 during the arrival of the Spaniards in Manila. These events led Chinese merchants to import sugar to combat the shortage.
However, this crisis did not extend to provinces like Bulacan, Laguna, Pampanga and even Pangasinan due to their dedicated parcels of land to cultivate sugarcane.
The Visayas region also joined these developments, fortifying the presence of sugarcane nationwide by the mid-17th century.
The First Foreign Trade
Sugar exportation did not have a good start in 1755 when prohibitions from Englishman Nicolas Norton disrupted trade and commerce. Despite these, the Philippines became the largest sugar exporter in Asia up until 1799.
By 1785, exportation extended as the British occupation paved the way for the Royal Company of the Philippines. A Royal Decree also allowed Manila to export sugar to non-Asian nations four years later.
The Modernization of Sugar Miling
Sugar manufacturing stepped up to a new level when three prominent plantations from Luzon availed the services of German Gaston, a Frenchman who specialized in sugar mills and boilers construction. These haciendas immediately influenced farmers of nearby provinces like Bulacan, Pangasinan and Pampanga to design and apply modern sugar production methods.
In 1837, Domingo Roxas, a businessman and pioneering sugar planter, hired Gaston to share his expertise and lead the cultivation and milling construction in Calatagan, Batangas.
Roxas’ success did not end there, as the family made subsequent acquisitions of the Nasugbu and Lian estate, opening the way for new sugar mill constructions.
