The Manila city government on Saturday declared war on “magic sugar” which has now proliferated in the city despite the raids being conducted by the Manila Police District (MPD) daily.

Manila Mayor Aflredo S. Lim said he directed both the MPD and the City Health Department to strictly enforce the city's laws to curtail the use of magic sugar or neotegen which contains sodium cyclamate, a known carcinogenic substance. Magic sugar is used as sweeteners in cold refreshments.

Lim said the Department of Health sent sanitation inspectors to immediately conduct surveillance of identified areas. They randomly check drinks being sold by “palamig” vendors on suspicion that they contain magic sugar. But tests showed negative for magic sugar, but just brown sugar.

“Further monitoring and verification will be done by the division of sanitation in coordination with the MPD,” Lim said.

Among the measures to be undertaken by Manila city government, through its City Health Department are:
1. A tri-media campaign against the use of magic sugar.
2. Apprehension of ambulant vendors suspected of using magic sugar by the MPD.
3. Coordination with barangay chairmen for the monitoring of vendors within their respective barangays.
4. Awareness campaign through lectures by sanitary officers to students regarding magic sugar and hepatitis A.
5. Encourage parents to prepare home-made nutritious meals for their children so they do not need to buy from ambulant vendors.
6. Continuous monitoring to check sanitary permit and environmental sanitation.

On Thursday, Manila policemen raided several stalls reportedly selling magic sugar-laced refreshments in the Tondo area.

The operations conducted by men of the Manila Police District (MPD)-Station 2 in Moriones, Tondo, yielded 26 gallons of “samalamig,” a homemade refreshment; and two packages of magic sugar.

MPD Station 2 commander Superintendent Ernesto Tendero said that the raids were conducted on ambulant stalls along Juan Luna and Elcano Streets in Tondo.

He pointed out that at least six of the vendors were taken into custody after the others left behind their stalls and equipment as soon as they got wind of the police operations.