Sugarcane has lost its sweetness in Batangas province. The past year has been bittersweet for sugarcane plantation workers since one of the largest sugar mills in the Philippines closed down. They are still struggling to salvage what is left of their livelihood and of the whole sugar industry in the country.
UMA Isabela documented at least 50 cases of forced surrenders. Meanwhile, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) said that forced surrenders reduced their membership of 12,000 sugar workers to only around 6,000.
“The RPA has since operated simultaneously as armed goons of Negros landlords and politicians and auxiliary force of the AFP,”
Among the legal personalities whose faces are on the poster are Karapatan-Negros secretary general Clarizza Singson, Zara Alvarez of the Negros Island Health Integrated Program, UMA secretary general John Lozande, NFSW secretary general Christian Tuayon, National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-Negros secretary general Benjamin Ramos, Escalante Councilor Bernardino Patigas, Julius Dagatan, Ronald Evidente, Ma Rina Amacio, Rogina Quilop, Lary Ocena and Anecita Rojo.
The bungkalan has been the NFSW’s campaign since 2008 for sugar workers to survive Tiempo Muerto or “dead season”, the period between planting and harvesting sugarcane. It usually lasts five months from April to September resulting to massive hunger among the farm workers.
By RITCHE T. SALGADO
A group of sugar workers in Negros island was shocked to learn that the price of sugar in some parts of the country has reached a high of P60 per kilo amid news of an apparent crisis on the supply of the commodity.
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