MANILA -- The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations, Inc. Negros-Panay Chapter (Confed) has lauded Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson for facilitating the return of migratory sugarcane workers or "sacadas" to the province in time for the start of the milling season next month.
A letter from Dar through Sugar Regulatory Administrator (SRA) Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica was sent to various local government chief executives in Negros and Panay requesting their offices to ensure the unhampered and unrestricted movement of the sugar migrant workers as they are critical and essential for land preparation and farming activities, specifically as the new cropping season will begin on September 1.
Dar said this is part of the Food Resiliency Protocol approved by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) that was reinforced by the advisory from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) reiterating that food and essential goods must remain unhampered to ensure food security and availability.
Confed Negros/Panay Chapter Chairman Nicolas Ledesma Jr. also thanked Lacson for coming out with the guidelines for sacada’s entry to the province.
“We are truly grateful for the efforts of our government leaders, especially Governor Lacson and Secretary Dar for streamlining the back-to-work travel of our Migratory Sugarcane Workers,” Ledesma said, citing Dar’s request as well to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to utilize the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) for sugar industry workers through the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns to “financially accommodate and aid in the payment of the requisite Rapid Test of migrant workers for their return to Negros Occidental.”
Lacson’s guidelines, released Wednesday, was sent to all planters’ associations requesting them to submit a list of migratory workers they require for the coming crop year.
The list must include pertinent information like PhilHealth registration of the workers, their place of assignment and preferred date of transport to Negros Occidental.
All incoming sacada will undergo reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. Those who are members of PhilHealth can charge their testing to the state health insurance agency. However, for those who are not covered by PhilHealth, the planter who will employ their services will be required to deposit PHP1,500 per worker to their associations which will then be remitted to the provincial government to aid them in covering the cost of testing.
Official schedule and number of trips shall be determined by the RT-PCR testing capacity to the province. Only those names listed under the Letter of Acceptance from the provincial government
Individual planters are also required to provide transportation for their farm workers from the port of disembarkation to their quarters which will serve as their quarantine facility in their respective farms.
There the workers must undergo mandatory quarantine their RT-PCR results return negative. For those who will test positive, they will immediately be transferred to the provincial quarantine facilities. (PR)
