By virtue of the power vested in the Secretary of Labor and Employment by Presidential Decree 621 and pursuant to the agreement reached by the National Tripartite Council in the Sugar Industry at its consultative meeting with representatives of the District Tripartite Councils in Region 6 on 18 October 1989 at the Sugarland Hotel, Bacolod City, the following guidelines are hereby issued for the compliance of all concerned.

A.
WORKERS COVERED

1.      All farm and mill workers receiving a monthly basic salary/wage of P4 ,000 and below are covered by the Social Amelioration Program.  For purposes of distribution, the cash bonus of farm workers shall be computed on the basis of P1 ,000, while those of mill workers on the basis of P2,000 only.

2.      Farm and mill workers who were excluded from the coverage of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) under Department Order No. 9, series of 1988, shall be included in its coverage provided they are within the salary/wage ceiling as specified above.

B.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE SOCIAL AMELIORATION BONUS DUE THE WORKERS

1.      Sugar planters and millers shall distribute the Social Amelioration Bonus (SAB) directly to their covered workers at a frequency and time as may be determined by and agreed upon in the District Tripartite Council (DTC), based on the practice and experience in the district. In the absence of such agreement distribution shall be completed within 60 days from the end of the milling season in the district.  The use of a general or a special payroll shall also be determined by the DTC to evidence the distribution of the SAB.

2.      Copies of payrolls of sugar planters and the miller shall be submitted to the DOLE Regional Office, through the planters association, in the case of affiliated planters and through the mills, in the case of non-affiliated planters, within 30 days from SAB distribution.  The list of workers who failed to claim their SAB during the distribution period and the amount due the workers shall be attached to the payrolls.

3.      Planters and millers shall have a period of one (1) year within which to distribute the unclaimed SAB to late claimants.  A report of distribution of unclaimed SAB supported by paid vouchers shall be submitted to the DOLE Regional Offices in the area, through their PAs in case of affiliated planters, and through the mill in case of unaffiliated planters.

C.
UNDISTRIBUTED AND UNCLAIMED SOCIAL AMELIORATION BONUS (SAB)

1.      One (1) year after the period of distribution of the SAB to their respective workers, all affiliated planter shall remit any undistributed SAB and a list of claimants thereof to their respective planters associations ( PAs).  The PAs shall, in turn, deposit the undistributed balance of the SAB in a separate account in the name of the association, in trust for the worker-claimants.

2.      The unaffiliated planters, on the other hand, shall turn over any undistributed SAB and a list of claimants thereof to the mill to be deposited in a separate account in the name of the miller, in trust for the worker-claimants.

3.      In the case of millers, the undistributed SAB shall be deposited in a separate account in the name of the miller, in trust for the worker-claimants.

4.      Authorized representatives of mills and planters association will be the signatories in the withdrawal of undistributed SAB for release to late claimants.

5.      After the lapse of two (2) years, all unclaimed SAB (USAB) shall be remitted by concerned millers and planters associations to the DOLE Regional Office in their area which, in turn, shall deposit the amount in the nearest authorized depository bank in the name of Secretary of Labor and Employment for use in socio-economic programs of the government for sugar workers.

D.
EFFECT ON OTHER ISSUANCES

Provisions of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of PD 621 and other applicable rules and regulations not otherwise replaced or modified or not inconsistent herewith shall continue to have full force and effect.

This Order shall take effect starting January 25, 1990, for Crop Year 1989 - 1990, and until further revoked or amended.

Adopted: 2 Feb. 1990

(SGD.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Secretary

Effective: 25 January 1990