Land Use Scheme for Sugarcane Workers

May 1, 1985

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 1023

ON LAND USE SCHEME FOR SUGARCANE WORKERS

WHEREAS, Wage Order Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were issued to enable workers to cope with inflation generated by the series of peso depreciations in 1983 and 1984;

WHEREAS, majority of sugarcane planters and millers can afford to pay only the wage/allowance increases under Wage Order Nos. 2 and 4;

WHEREAS, the Employment Conference on the Sugar Industry held last February 22, 1985 in Bacolod City considered a land utilization scheme to provide immediate relief to sugar workers; cd

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the authority granted me by Presidential Decree No. 1790, do hereby order and direct the following:

1. Planters/millers are hereby encouraged to allow free use of a certain portion of their farm land which has been or may be withdrawn from sugarcane production and not devoted to other crops under the diversification program of the government to their respective workers for production of food and cash crops, subject to such terms and conditions as are mutually acceptable to parties concerned.

2. The National Wages Council (NWC) shall consider such land utilization agreement as a basis for granting exemption to planters/millers from pertinent Wage Orders. The exemption granted pursuant to this section shall be subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by the NWC, including the duration of exemption, taking into consideration the crisis besetting the sugar industry. Depending upon the industry's capability to pay, the NWC may require payment in cash of any or all of the mandated wage/cost-of-living allowance increases.

3. The National Wages Council shall promulgate other rules and guidelines to implement this Order.

4. Ministry Order No. 7, Series of 1984, issued by the Minister of Labor and Employment shall remain in full force and effect, allowing the payment of sugar wage rates in sugarcane farms converted in whole or in part to other crops under certain conditions. acd

5. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.

DONE in the City of Manila, this First day of May, 1985.