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A. LE FLOCH
BACOLOD CITY – Sugar industry leaders and Negros Occidental officials formed a task force to help sugar industry workers cope with a lengthy “dead season” when there is no work in plantations or mills.
Enrique Miguel Lacson, Negros Occidental board member, called a meeting that was attended by leaders of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association, National Federation of Sugarcane Planters and the United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines.
The meeting, held at a hotel here, was also attended by Board Members Adolfo Mangao, Nehemias de la Cruz and Patrick Lacson.
Enrique Lacson said representatives from workers would become members of the task force, too.
One of the measures planned to help workers cope with the dead season was to sell them cheap rice.
Enrique Lacson said the provincial government would request the National Food Authority to supply cheap rice.
Funds for the program could come from various sources, according to Enrique Lacson.
Another meeting will be held with other agencies and sectors, he said.
He said the dead season usually lasts from three to four months.
But low production was expected to accelerate the start of the dead season and make it last for at least five months, he said.
“In the fifth district, the dead season usually starts in April but this year it could start at the end of February or March,” he said.
Lacson said plantation and mill owners helped their workers during the dead season in the past and were willing to help again this year.