BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Confederation of Sugar Producers Negros-Panay Chapter is urging their planter-members to hasten the processing of documentary permits for sugar migrant workers (sacadas).
Nicolas Ledesma Jr., CONFED Negros-Panay chairman, cited the Memorandum Order No. 68 of Gov. Rhodora Cadiao of Antique that orders additional requirement for transporting migrant workers to the Negros Occidental on top of what Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson issued.
“With barely two weeks to go, we need to speed things up so the migrant workers will be in Negros Occidental at the start of the milling season,” Ledesma pointed out
About 3,000 to 6,000 sacada are expected to travel to the province in a couple of weeks.
“If we want no delays in the start of the milling season, everyone must comply with the guidelines set by both governors,” Ledesma said.
Cadioa’s memo was recently forwarded by Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica for compliance of all planters’ groups who are in need of sugar migrant workers.
Millers’ representatives were told to comply with the list of requirements by Aug. 20 for the issuance of a provincial identification card and to give time for the issuance of a Certificate of Acceptance from Lacson.
All workers should also submit their birth certificates, which would be sent to the Department of Labor and Employment to ensure that no minors will be included in the list of migrant workers.
The memo also required submission of Mayor’s Permit, police clearance, and a medical certificate duly signed by a government physician for the worker to be given a certificate to travel by their respective municipal employment and services office.
Ledesma hopes that by then, all sugar farms will have their respective quarantine facilities for the migrant workers and ready for the logistical needs of migrant workers during their travel and stay in Negros Occidental.
As required by Lacson, all migrant workers will be tested as soon as they enter the province and will immediately be quarantined in their respective workplace until their results are out. Those who are enrolled in Philhealth will have their tests shouldered by the government.
Lacson declared a “No ID, No Entry” policy for sugar migrant workers which was concurred by Cadiao./PN
