Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

58 INDEPENDENCE CONGRESS PROCEEDINGS

customs duties being imposed upon it in the United States.
In that case, the net decrease would be the difference in the
value of the copra exported, now used for the manufacture of
coconut oil in the Philippine Islands, and the value of the coconut oil and copra meal exported.
If customs duties are collected on dessicated coconut in the
United States, the industry will disappear; but in that case, the
coconuts used to make dessicated coconut can be converted into
copra. Taking this into account, it is estimated that the
exportation of copra will increase to P49,000,00C and that the
net decrease in the value of coconut exports will amount to
P10,251,314.
Sugar exports in 1928 totalled P95,085,878. A large portion of this sugar, worth P91,382,464, went to the United
States. If customs duties are collected on Philippine sugar in
the United States, the sugar industry will be almost completely
ruined. It is true that there is a market for muscovado sugar
in the Orient; but the quantity of sugar that can be so sold is
small and can probably not be increased unless we are ready
to sell our muscovado sugar below cost.
Japan, formerly a buyer of Philippine muscovado sugar, is
now almost exclusively supplied from Formosa where it has
developed the sugar industry in a splendid manner. Java,
with her low cost of production, would keep us out of the
market in this part of the globe. It will be sufficient to state
that the price paid for Javanese sugar is P5.62 per picul, which
would be ruinous for the Philippine Islands.
Conceding that some of the producers of sugar might survive,
the result would be a decrease in the value of sugar exports of
P80,000,000, the present exports amounting to P95,085,878.
As to tobacco, the Philippines export very little leaf tobacco
and cigarettes to the United States. The decrease worthy of
mention would be in the exportation of cigar which would
fall off P7,000,000.
Among the minor industries which would suffer the most
are the embroidery and hat industries, the decrease in which
could be estimated at P12,500,000.