ic ▁so ils ▁to ▁cal care ous ▁sed iment ary ▁depos its . ▁The ▁har vest ▁period ▁is ▁from ▁October ▁to ▁December ▁and ▁ends ▁in ▁May . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁the ▁National ▁Commission ▁for ▁Culture ▁and ▁the ▁Arts ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁will ▁include ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Sug ar ▁Central ▁S ites ▁of ▁the ▁Philippines ▁and ▁related ▁properties ▁to ▁the ▁UN ES CO ▁World ▁Heritage ▁List . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁sugar ▁industry ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines ▁pre - dates ▁Spanish ▁colon ization . ▁Early ▁Arab ▁trad ers ▁brought ▁from ▁the ▁C ele bes ▁c utt ings ▁of ▁sugar c ane ▁and ▁plant ed ▁them ▁in ▁Mind ana o . ▁Later ▁sugar ▁were ▁sh ipped ▁north ▁and ▁plant ed ▁in ▁the ▁Vis ay as ▁and ▁Lu zon . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 5 2 1 , ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁Spanish ▁colonial ▁era ▁in ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁sugar c ane ▁far ming ▁was ▁already ▁extensive ▁on ▁many ▁islands , ▁particularly ▁in ▁the ▁Vis ay as . ▁ ▁Sug arc ane ▁far ming ▁became ▁an ▁industry ▁after ▁ 1 8 5 6 ▁when ▁Nicholas ▁L oney , ▁a ▁British ▁Vice - Cons ul , ▁was ▁sent ▁to ▁I lo ilo ▁City ▁and ▁convinced ▁the ▁American ▁house ▁of ▁Russell ▁& ▁St urg is ▁to ▁open ▁a ▁branch ▁in ▁I lo ilo ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁giving ▁c rop ▁lo ans ▁to ▁sugar ▁plan ters . ▁L oney ▁through ▁his ▁firm , ▁L oney ▁and ▁K ee ▁Company ,