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VMC finally released planters’ shares it withheld since 2018

It was a David versus Goliath duel, a battle worth fighting for a planters’ group that dragged for a couple of years.

After a two-year insistence by Vicmico Planters Association Inc., Victorias Milling Co. (VMC) finally released the planters’ shares it withheld since 2018, a press release from Vicmico PAI said Sunday, January 30.

These shares were withheld without any orders and authority from the Sugar Regulatory Administration, Department of Labor and Employment and from the Courts, Jose Ma. Montinola, Vicmico PAI vice president, said.

The corresponding increase in planters’ share is in accordance with Republic Act 809 where the sharing should be 70/30 percent in favor of planters. The release of the amount by VMC proved that all along, Vicmico Planters’ Association was legally right to demand payment, the press release said.

However, figures and amounts released by VMC are still subject to validation by the association.

VMC released what it owes to members of Vicmico Planters Association, Inc. but not without a twist.

The association revealed that on Jan. 11, the Lucio Tan-controlled VMC paid millions of pesos due to planters of Negros and other associations milling with them.

What was issued so far, however, is only a meager portion of their rightful claims, the association said.

“This is because there appears to be no transparency on the part of VMC. It is not clear if storage charges were deducted from the amount (it paid the planters). The check voucher did not even reflect as to how many LKG is involved and how the price is computed,” the association said.

Particulars in the check voucher, it continued, only mentioned DOLE share liquidation Week 2 to Week 14 for crop year 2018-2019, the payee’s name, and the check and voucher numbers.

“This issue could also be one of the reasons why VMC severed its relationship with our association which insisted on collecting from VMC the 0.005 or one half of 1 percent share from weekending September 9 to December 2, 2018,” the association pointed out.

What the VMC had released was the 0.005 or one half of 1 percent share of planters it withheld for week ending September 9, 2018 to December 2, 2018, which the association had been pressing for two years now.

Since then, the sharing has been 70/30 percent in favor of the planters.

In addition to the refund of storage charges and price differentials, the group also demanded that the percentage share also claimed by the association on top of the 0.30 percent share withheld by VMC from week ending December 9, 2018 to the whole crop year of 2019-2020 be paid as well.

This was because there was no longer any milling contract between the Vicmico PAI and other District Associations milling with VMC, adding that the basis for these claims was contained in a position paper association president, Aurelio Valderrama Jr., presented to VMC President Minnie O. Chua, in accordance with RA 809 where the sharing should be 70 percent -30 percent in favor of the planters.

Although some planters’ checks were released through the association, most check payments for individual members of the association were held by VMC.

SMALL NEGROS PLANTERS INCONVENIENCED BY VMC

Individual planters, more particularly the smaller farmers or agrarian reform beneficiaries belonging to the association, were required to claim their checks at the VMC Cane Supply at its mill site office, further causing them more inconvenience, the association said.

Hostaged by the situation arising from the new policy of VMC, hundreds of their
members will be left with no choice but to troop to the VMC Cane Supply office, contrary to the simple process before wherein all releases were given through the Association for distribution to its members without the run around and thus, making the association irrelevant to its planter-members., it added.

Ironically, other than the distance of the mill and the very strict security and health protocols being imposed by the VMC management, Association members cannot also easily get inside VMC’s premises.

Many small planters who are affiliated with Vicmico Planters’ Association are being given the run around in claiming their checks, the press release said.

This is a clear attempt to make the process more difficult for our planter-members, the Association added.

Vicmico Planters Association Inc made a verbal request to Hector Solatorio, head of the VMC Cane Supply office, to release the checks of their members to the association but he declined.

“He (Solatorio) said that he is just following the instruction of higher management that only VMC Cane Supply personnel can deliver the checks to planters,” the association said.*

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