Something for the Sacada Workers




I just finished drafting a project proposal for the Baleten-on sacada workers and their dependents. Somebody from DOLE tipped me of the availability of funds intended for these marginalized contract workers. Somehow, they are the marginalized among the marginalized and are the ones less understood by the society, having forced by circumstance to always move in and out of the community in search for livelihood. I heard in several instance that as contractual unskilled sugarcane workers, they are prone to abuses by either the contractor and the employer who often times take advantage of their vulnerability, ignorance and vices. They left their respective family a poor household and returned to it after four months to see it poorer than before.

I myself don't understand them. To me they are strangers whose stories I'm wanting to hear. Fortunately, Fr. Niall O'Brien serves as their voice amplifiers when he devoted a whole chapter about them in his book, Revolution from the Heart (1987). At least, I have some ideas about them when I interacted with them in the next few months should the proposal get the nod of the DOLE people.

Tomorrow, I shall scale the heights to Cortes to meet some of them for a briefing. Wish the angels are with me on this endeavor.

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