TACLOBAN CITY- The provincial government of Leyte together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Leyte Union of Producers of Agri-Products (LUPA) signed a memorandum of agreement for a P7.3 million project in providing labor and livelihood for the displaced farm workers in this province who were affected by the super typhoon Yolanda.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla in an interview said that the P7.37 million project will benefit 700 farm workers. The project will be implemented in Palo, Sta. Fe, Leyte and Burauen. Petilla said that the farmers will plant high value short-term crops using the sloping agriculture land technology (SALT). He added that the project will contribute to the food security of his province.
The governor said that the project will also provide the farmer-beneficiaries with skills training on modern agricultural production, integrated farming-cum-entrepreneurship development, and marketing to help them ensure of better farm income. Alfredo Rodriguez, ILO project coordinator in Tacloban City, he said that the workers will receive minimum wages and social protection that include one year accident insurance, social security benefits and health insurance as well as personal protective equipment.
He added that these benefits help the beneficiaries build resilience to climatic shocks and develop better coping mechanisms. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
