Officials of the Land Bank of the Philippines met with Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday to discuss special livelihood programs for sugar workers in Negros Occidental during the dead season, and for porters from the shut down Bacolod airport.

The LBP officials told Zayco the bank will provide micro financing for livelihood projects through conduit rural and cooperative banks and non government organizations.

The governor said he hopes the process of providing assistance to sugar workers is hastened or it will be too late to help them during the dead season.

He noted that the bank process of providing micro financing often takes time.

Zayco said the LBP officials were sent to him by Liduvino Geron, LBP first vice president for programs management.

Zayco raised the problem of the displaced sugar workers with the President during her visit to Negros Occidental Thursday last week and she instructed Finance Secretary Margarito Teves to look into the matter and coordinate with the governor.

The “dead season” refers to the off-milling period in the sugar industry when there is little, to no work on sugarcane farms.

The assistance will involve micro finance for livelihood programs so that it will be sustainable, Geron explained.

The LBP is also set to finance a livelihood program for the displaced porters of 72-year-old Bacolod airport that was closed down in January 2008 with the opening of the new Bacolod-Silay Airport in Silay City.*CPG

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