DOLE eyes hiring workers to restore abaca industry

By Ernie Delgado

LEGAZPI CITY --- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will launch a cash-for-work program to help nearly 24,000 farmers restore their abaca crops, destroyed by Super Typhoon Uwan in the Bicol region, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced on Wednesday.

According to the DA, the program will be implemented after the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) reported that more than 55,000 hectares of abaca farms were damaged in Catanduanes, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, and Sorsogon.

Abacca losses totaled 7,492.90 metric tons, valued at over a billion pesos, with a P1.2 billion loss in Catanduanes alone.

“Bicol is the country’s abaca powerhouse—the region that introduced Manila hemp to the world,” said Agriculture Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

“We owe it to our abaca farmers to help them recover quickly and rebuild stronger. Their resilience fuels rural economies, and we will stand with them every step of the way,” he added.

Under DOLE’s Tupad program, this emergency employment for displaced workers will run for at least 10 days.

According to PhilFIDA Regional Director Mary Anne Molina, 23,619 farmers will be mobilized to clear debris, trim damaged stalks, reinforce standing plants, and replant uprooted or shallow-rooted abaca.

In an interview on Radyo Pilipinas Virac, Molina said that the farmers will also collect any recoverable abaca fibers to help address their immediate financial needs.

PhilFIDA technicians will assess the damaged sites, verify losses, and document the conditions. Farms will undergo pre-replanting inspections to ensure that planting materials are available and the areas are ready.

Before fieldwork begins, each beneficiary will receive protective long-sleeved clothing, a cap, and a one-year personal accident insurance package from the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp.

Farmers will then benefit from the DOLE’s cash-for-work incentives, which include P3,000 per hectare for slightly damaged farms, P5,000 for moderately damaged farms, and P10,000 for heavily damaged areas.

With this, Molina said DA intends to restore 4,505.81 hectares of abaca farms within three months.

Moreover, the DA plans to provide farm inputs that farmers will need during the projected 18 to 24-month recovery period of abaca plantations.

“Itong planong ito (This plan) will provide farm inputs like vegetable seeds, chemicals, fertilizers, and tools like digging bars and knapsack sprayer,” Molina said.

“We are trying to give alternative income for the abaca farmers so they don’t abandon their farms and seek employment in other places,” she added.

During his visit to Catanduanes on November 13, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. instructed government agencies to ensure that the victims of the typhoon were receiving the necessary assistance. (PIA Bicol/Masbate)