ANTIQUE – This province’s migrant workers in Negros Occidental’s sugar industry received assistance from the provincial government.
On Dec. 3, Gov. Rhodora Cadiao and Antique’s Provincial Social Welfare Development Office (PSWDO) staff visited over 1,000 Antiqueño sacadas in La Carlota City and Isabela town both in Negros Occidental to deliver food packs, medicines and financial assistance.
Beginning in 2015, Cadiao made it a point to visit Antiqueño sacadas in Negros every December.
“Ang sacada lowest paid employees kang Pilipinas. Nagabisita ako sa haciendas to check their situation,” said Cadiao.
The migrant workers were grateful.
“Gapasalamat gid ako kay Governor Cadiao kay bisan diya kami sa marayu gin-agtunan na gid kami. Natugruan kami bulig kag suporta,” said 27-year-old Reymar Abellana.
Abellana worked on and off as a sacada after graduating from high school. He had a wife and a child, and also supported his mother back in Antique.
Wenne Teodoro, 34, welcomed the yearly help of the Antique provincial government.
“Wara-wara man bay. Amo lang diya, mag-sacada. Kon wara kwarta, mabuol pa gid kaw kon may makita kaw rugya para itugro sa amun pamilya bala aw,” said Teodoro.
Cadiao noted an increase in the number of sacadas after many Antiqueños got displaced from work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Kay ti wara obra ang mga tawo nga na-belong sa informal sector like karpentero, naga-sacada na lang sila. Ang mga mason, painters kag construction workers diin sila ma-obra kundi sa sacada,” said Cadiao.
There are currently over 5,000 documented sacadas in Antique, data from the provincial government showed. They mostly work in haciendas in Negros Occidental./PN
