FIVE PLANTERS associations under the Binalbagan-Isabela Milling Company (Biscom) Milling District in southern Negros Occidental will receive PHP185 million in production share of sugar workers from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) by August 21.
These associations include the Binalbagan-Isabela Planters’ Association, Independent Planters of Biscom, Planters Association of Southern Negros Inc., Negros Consolidated Farmers Association, and United Farmers Association of Negros South Inc.
“We guarantee that we will fully release Biscom Milling District’s labor share within next week, now that all associations have submitted their payrolls,” DOLE-Western Visayas Regional Director Cyril Ticao said in a statement on Monday.
Responding to the call of the planters’ organizations, Ticao directed the immediate release of the cash bonus as he recognized the need to alleviate the plight of the workers amid the economic downturn due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
The amount accounts for the three percent workers’ share as provided under Republic Act 809 or An Act to Regulate the Relations Among Persons Engaged in the Sugar Industry.
DOLE-Negros Occidental head Mary Agnes Capigon said the sharing scheme provided under RA 809 has been practiced in the Biscom Milling District for several years now.
“Our policies on this have never changed,” she added
Before the release of checks and distribution of the cash bonus, the DOLE entered into a trust receipt agreement with the planters associations.
Before the release of checks and distribution of the cash bonus, the DOLE entered into a trust receipt agreement with the planters associations.
The agreement sets several conditions such as the submission of previous crop year’s proof of distribution and evidence of deposits of unclaimed cash bonuses.
For the crop year 2018-2019, the milling season ended in April last year, and the DOLE released the sugar quedans under RA 809 in August 2019.
RA 809 provides a graduated sharing scheme between the sugar mill and planters’ associations in a certain milling district, in the absence of a written milling agreement, with workers getting the bigger share. (By Erwin Nicavera)
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