Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (CONFED) president Aurelio Gerardo Valderrama Jr. has agreed to amicably settle differences with his 28 farmworkers to foster industrial peace and preserve a harmonious working environment on the farm, his lawyer Roland D. Ravina said.
“Mindful of the prevailing economic hardships faced by agricultural workers, Mr. Valderrama took the unilateral initiative to provide a financial settlement package that far exceeds the initial claims filed with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE),” Ravina said in press statement Sunday, August 2.
“This voluntary gesture was made out of pure goodwill and humanitarian compassion, well before any formal mandate”, he said.
Valderrama fully engaged with DOLE’s Single-Entry Approach (SEnA)—a routine, daily administrative mechanism designed to mediate worker claims efficiently and prevent protracted legal disputes, Ravina said.
“It is profoundly regrettable, however, that a standard and confidential conciliation process was weaponized by outside interests seeking to sensationalize a private administrative matter”, the lawyer said.
Valderrama is deeply grateful that the farmworkers and their leaders recognized these external disruptions for what they were, choosing instead to prioritize dialog, mutual respect, and a swift resolution, he added.
“Moving forward, my client emphasizes that legitimate labor discussions belong within established institutional frameworks and proper legal channels, rather than in the destructive court of public opinion and trial by social media,” Ravina said.*
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