P15M in food-for-work rice released to sugar workers

About 8,000 bags of rice worth P15 million are now being released to city and town governments for food-for-work programs this month to aid sugar workers in Negros Occidental during the tiempo muerto (dead season) in the industry, Board Member Enrique Miguel Lacson said yesterday.

Lacson, who heads the Task Force on the Sugar Industry, said Office of the Provincial Agriculturist is distributing the rice based on the number of farm workers identified by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

Gov. Isidro Zayco had earlier said that the amount is not very much and he hopes that counterpart aid can be put up by local governments at the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

A PSWDO report released earlier said there are 83,924 sugar workers with 387,608 dependents in Negros Occidental.

An OPA list said the following are the recipient areas of the rice: San Carlos – 64 bags, Calatrava – 272, Toboso – 128, Escalante – 200, Don Salvador Benedicto – 48, Sagay – 376, Cadiz – 624, Manapla – 320;

Victorias – 64, EB Magalona – 352, Silay – 208, Talisay – 616, Murcia – 376, Bago – 496, Pulupandan – 20, Valladolid – 40, San Enrique – 20, La Carlota – 640, Pontevedra – 312, Hinigaran – 344;

Binalbagan – 192, Himamaylan – 288, Isabela – 368, Moises Padilla – 152, La Castellana – 176, Kabankalan – 712, Ilog – 200, Candoni – 80, Cauayan – 168, Sipalay 20, and Hinobaan – 20.*CPG

source: visayandailystar