Leyte province, ILO, farmers' group sign pact for P7.3M agriculture proj.

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines -  A memorandum of agreement was signed for the implementation of a P7.3 million project to provide livelihood for farm workers in Leyte province who were affected by typhoon Yolanda.

The signatories were the Leyte provincial government, represented by Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, the International Labour Organization, represented by Alfredo Rodriguez, and the Leyte Union of Producers of Agri-Products, or LUPA.

Petilla told reporters in an interview at the Capitol that the project, supported by ILO and with funding from the Japanese government, will benefit 700 farm workers from Leyte.

The project will be implemented by the Capitol in four towns of Leyte, Palo, Sta. Fe and Burauen, in collaboration with LUPA and the beneficiary-local governments, he said.

Petilla said the farmers will plant high value short-term crops using the sloping agriculture land technology, designed to contribute to the food security of the province.

The project will also provide farmer-beneficiaries with skills training on modern agricultural production, integrated farming-cum-entrepreneurship development and marketing to help them get better income.

Rodriguez, ILO project coordinator in Tacloban City, for his part said: "In line with national labor policy, the workers will receive minimum wages and social protection that include one year accident insurance, social security benefits and health insurance as well as personal protective equipment."