More funds for sugar workers' perks released

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has released additional funds for maternity and death benefits for sugar industry workers in 10 regions across the country.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma signed DoLE Administrative Order 318 authorizing the release of additional Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in the amount of P6.8 million for the maternity benefit program and P11.76 million for the death benefit program for sugar workers.

Under Laguesma's directive, the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) is authorized to process the release of said additional reserved funds.

The additional reserve funds will be allocated to DoLE Regional Offices 2, 3, 4A, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, and to the DoLE Provincial Offices in Iloilo and Negros Occidental, both in Region 6.

The directive guarantees the availability of reserve funds for the implementation of said benefits in response to DoLE DO 236 issued in 2022, which increased the maternity benefit for sugar workers from P5,000 to P8,000 and the death benefit from P10,000 to P14,000.

Additional reserve funds amounting to P400,000 covering 50 maternity benefit claims will be released to each of the DoLE Regional Offices in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Davao, and Soccsksargen, and the DoLE Provincial Office in Iloilo.

Meanwhile, additional reserve funds amounting to P640,000 for 80 maternity benefit claims will be released to DoLE Cagayan Valley; P2.24 million for 280 maternity benefit claims to DoLE Negros Occidental; and P720,000 for 90 maternity benefit claims in DoLE Northern Mindanao.

The BWSC was likewise given the authority to release P700,000, corresponding to 50 death benefit claims each, to the DoLE Regional/Provincial Offices in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, Iloilo, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Davao and Soccsksargen.

Another P1.26 million worth of reserve funds corresponding to 90 death benefit claims will be released to DoLE Calabarzon, while P4.2 million will be released to DoLE Negros Occidental to fund 300 death benefit claims.

The Administrative Order further allocates additional funds to DoLE Regional Office 2 and DoLE Negros