Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said he is urging sugar planters, who are benefiting from the current high prices of sugar, to fully implement Wage Order No. 13 now.

This will be a big help to the workers because of the increase in prices of commodities, the governor said.

Under Wage Order No. 13 wages for workers in the sugar industry was increased by P10 to be paid in two installments. The first P5 was to be implemented on June 18, 2005 and the second on April 16, 2006.

The delay in the implementation of the second installment was due to the low composite millgate sugar prices in June 2005,which was only P820 per Lkg, Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, said.

However, now that the price of sugar has reached P1,340 per Lkg there is a strong reason to advance the implementation of the second P5 installment instead of waiting for April 16, he said.

The second P5 daily wage increase could help the sugar workers lighten up their financial burden due to the price increase of prime commodities, Rojas said.

"With the additional expense from this early implementation of the wage order, millgate price of raw sugar should not go below P1,200 per Lkg. The price level of P1,200 per Lkg is hardly enough to survive for marginal planters, who compose 80 percent of the total number of sugar farmers in the country," he said.

Rojas pointed out that cost of production has dramatically increased due to the drastic increase in the cost of farm inputs such as fuel, fertilizer and spare parts.

Under Wage Order No. 13 on June 18, 2005 daily wages for workers in the sugar industry were set at: mills - P210, plantation with capitalization of more than P3 million - P180, not more than P3 million - P160 and non plantation - P155.

On April 16, 2006 wages for mill workers should be P215 a day, plantations with capitalization of more than P3 million - P185, not more than P3 million - P165 and non plantation - P160.*CPG

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