I MET Jean, that lady journalist from New York, at the lobby of her hotel for another day trip for the lifestyle magazine. She was in white T-shirt with safari shorts and brown half boots. She reminded me of actress Emily Blunt.
When we reached a town, we rented a "habal-habal" going to the upland "hacienda." The rough ride was exciting... the driver, Jean at the middle, and I am at the rear. We met the "tapaseros" (cane cutters) and Jean took pictures while they are sweating it out to earn P300-P400 a day.
"We are 'sacadas' from the other province. We come to this place during the milling season. In order to survive, we have to borrow money with interest from the 'encargado' (overseer). The canned goods and the rice we are eating are from his 'cantina' (sari-sari store) also. He is deducting what we took from him during pay day."
Jean discovered that only very few of the permanent workers are working. Their children would prefer to work in the construction firms and malls where salary is higher. "Many of us who are permanent workers are old already (40 years old and above). We have problem in the haciendas because we are not sure that if we retire we will be given separation pay. We have no work contract with the owner of the farm. We are not even sure if our remittance in the SSS and Pag-ibig are paid on time.
We visited their houses inside the "hacienda." We were met by the wives (most of them are pregnant) and the children look undernourished (bloated stomach, small arms and legs, running noses and ears). It was a picture of modern-day-famine. The houses of the permanent workers were dilapidated.
Jean took pictures of their sala that served also as the sleeping area, dining room and kitchen at the same time. In a family, there are four to seven children. Two or three dogs (sick-looking) are eating and sleeping with the family. At the side of the house there is an open well and a pig's pen is near it. The wives and the children in their tattered attire show their 'Welcome Mabuhay' smile to the journalist.
We visited the "sacada" (transient worker) match box houses. At first, we thought they were living like sardines (overcrowded) but we were wrong. They live like corned beef (jam packed) inside the small house that has been compartmentalized. They choke and suffocate each other. Many "sacadas" are coughing, complaining about their aching stomach and their skin are covered with "ap-ap" (white spots). Their open comfort room is the sugarcane field.
People in the urban areas are so concerned with sugar import liberalization. Most hacienda workers do not know what sugar liberalization is all about. Their concern is for their food, house, children, health, SSS, Pag-ibig, and salary increase. They hope that the government can do a miracle. If they die early, they also hope to see God in heaven.
On her last day in Negros, I accompanied Jean to the airport. She will fly to Manila... then Marawi, Zamboanga and Sulu. "When my articles are published, I will send you the magazine." We ended with sweet goodbyes.