▁sugar ▁industry ▁provides ▁substantial ▁so cio - e conom ic ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁This ▁include ▁but ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁limited ▁to ▁employ ment , ▁gross ▁domestic ▁product ▁( G DP ), ▁invest ments , ▁social ▁am el ior ation , ▁Research ▁& ▁Development ▁( R & D ), ▁and ▁energy ▁development . ▁ ▁Emp loyment ▁It ▁is ▁estimated ▁that ▁as ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁industry ▁provides ▁direct ▁employ ment ▁to ▁ 7 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁sugar c ane ▁workers ▁spread ▁across ▁ 1 9 ▁sugar ▁producing ▁provinces . ▁ ▁G ross ▁Dom estic ▁Product ▁( G DP ) ▁On ▁annual ▁basis , ▁production ▁of ▁sugar ▁cont ributes ▁about ▁ 6 9 . 7 ▁billion ▁pes os ▁to ▁the ▁national ▁G DP ▁with ▁Value ▁Added ▁Tax ▁( V AT ) ▁collection ▁for ▁the ▁sale ▁of ▁ref ined ▁sugar ▁reaching ▁over ▁ 1 . 9 2 ▁billion ▁pes os ▁year ly . ▁Sug ar ▁is ▁primarily ▁produced ▁in ▁the ▁whole ▁Neg ros ▁Island ▁Region , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁Central ▁Lu zon , ▁Western ▁Vis ay as ▁and ▁some ▁parts ▁of ▁Mind ana o . ▁As ▁of ▁C rop ▁Year ▁ 2 0 0 7 - 2 0 0 8 , ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁Neg ros ▁Occ ident al ▁account ed ▁for ▁ 5 4 % ▁of ▁sugar ▁produced ▁and ▁account ed ▁for ▁ 1 8 ▁billion ▁pes os ▁of ▁Neg ros ' ▁G DP . ▁ ▁In vest ments ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 8