Sugarcane farm workers in Barangay Kahil* in the southern part of Negros were able to push for an increase in their daily wages after jointly confronting two landlords last June. In a report by Ang Paghimakas, a newspaper of the revolutionary movement in Negros, wages were raised from ₱200-₱220 to ₱250, while plowing from ₱700 to ₱1,300 in two passes per hectare.

The increase benefited 19 households or 44 farm workers from the five sitios.

Tatay Astong is very happy with the salary increase because it is a big help in their daily needs amid the very high price of goods. “If we didn’t have the courage to assert, maybe we wouldn’t have achieved success,” he said in an interview with Ang Paghimakas.

Nanay Isyang emphasized, “our living conditions are very difficult, we can barely survive from the salary from sugarcane farms.” Fortunately, their comrades helped them to organize and mobilize, which won them their demands.

Ang Paghimakas said the anti-feudal struggle in Barangay Kahil is the second organized resistance of the peasant masses during tiempo muerto or “dead season” which refers to the months between the sugar cane planting cycle. The first wave was carried out in May.

With the guidance of the Party, the peasants built their revolutionary mass organization in the said areas. They once again proved that they can rely on their own strength to achieve their legitimate demands against the class enemy amidst the intensified military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Farmers continue to struggle to obtain their other just demands and living wages. In the Ibon Foundation’s study, ₱1,021 daily wages is necessary for a family of five to survive in Region VI which includes Negros Occidental, while ₱1,288 daily for Negros Oriental and all of Region VII.

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*not real name