THE Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (Confed) Negros-Panay Chapter has recognized the efforts of Agriculture Secretary William Dar and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in facilitating the return of migratory sugarcane workers to the province in time for the start of the milling season next month.
A letter from Dar, through Sugar Regulatory 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 sugar industry migrant workers.
These workers are critical and essential for land preparation and farming activities guaranteed by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) issuances especially amid the impending start of the new cropping season on September 1.
The letters were sent to Lacson, Iloilo Governor Art Defensor, Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The DA official said this is part of the approved Food Resiliency Protocol approved by the IATF that was reinforced by the advisory from the Department of the 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 the entry of sugarcane workers or "sacadas" 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 migrant sugarcane workers," Ledesma said.
He cited 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."
The group said Lacson's guidelines released yesterday 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 "sacadas" will undergo 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 them will be required to deposit P1,500 per worker to their associations.
This will then be remitted to the provincial government to aid them in covering the cost of testing, it said.
The statement further said the 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.
Furthermore, individual planters are 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, the statement added.