By Teresa Ellera
25 September 2014
sunstar.com.ph
THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole)-Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) has taken significant steps to prepare sugar industry workers for the implementation of the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta) in 2015 by crafting a Human Resource Development (HRD) Master Plan.
Amalia Judicpa, assistant regional director of Dole-Western Visayas, said in a press briefing on Wednesday that the Master Plan supports the Sugar Industry Roadmap of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) in preparing the sugar workers for the challenges and opportunities when tariffs on imported sugar will be as low as five percent.
While the SRA focuses on increasing the yield, productivity, and diversification of products from sugarcane, Judicpa said the Dole HRD Master Plan pays attention to the human resource aspect of the preparation through education, training, and capacity-building activities to promote the competency of the workers in the sugar industry.
Part of the preparation is the conduct of a series of HRD program planning activities at the district level, including the session held last September 4 and 5 in Negros Occidental participated by representatives from the eight District Tripartite Councils (DTCs).
The activity also included a consultation among sugar industry stakeholders wherein suggestions on appropriate and necessary skills trainings, capability building, and institutional strengthening activities for the sugar workers and their dependents were solicited for consideration in the operationalization of the Sugar Workers Development Center.
The output, an HRD Convergence Plan of each district, will be used as basis for the cluster consultation in line with the crafting of the Dole-Western Visayas Regional Convergence Plan set on October 13 and 14, which is now the third phase of HRD Convergence Program Planning.
Judicpa said the HRD Convergence Program Planning ensures the participation and involvement of all stakeholders in the sugar industry at the district, regional, and national levels.
It has five phases, the Conduct of Focus Group Discussions with field workers, small planters and mill workers; HRD Convergence Program planning at the District Level; Consolidation of HRD Convergence Program at the Regional Planning; Consolidation of regional plans into National HR Convergence Program; and Validation of the HRD Convergence Program with national agencies and the Sugar Tripartite Council.
Judicpa said the Dole's roadmap aims to increase the productivity and promote the competitiveness of sugar workers and other industry stakeholders during the Afta implementation.