By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has issued an executive order setting guidelines for migrant sugarcane workers or “sacadas” entering the province for crop year 2021-2022.

Under Executive Order 21-42 Series of 2021 issued on Tuesday, August 10, Lacson said they are expecting an influx of sacadas entering Negros Occidental, hence the need to issue proactive guidelines to prevent another potential surge of COVID-19 cases in the province.

Individual planters are now being required to submit the list of migrant workers they will require for the new crop season.

The list will include names of the workers, basic information, place of assignment, and their preferred date of transport. After which the list will be endorsed to the provincial government for proper coordination.

Upon entering the province, the migrant workers are required to present an approved travel coordination permit via the S-PaSS system and a negative RT-PCR test result.

Workers with no RT-PCR test result will be swabbed at the port of entry, and planters are required to deposit P1,500 to the province as a donation for the purchase of RT-PCR test kits for every migrant worker who avails of the swab on arrival.

Planters are also required to endorse the list of migrant sugarcane workers who will avail of the service, as well as their transportation to the quarantine facilities located in their respective farms.

Those in quarantine will be isolated until their swab test results are released by the Provincial Health Office.

Any person or establishment who fails to comply with the new guidelines will also face the appropriate administrative or criminal sanctions./DGB, WDJ