Responses to the sugar industry crisis: The case of Negros Occidental

Abstract

This paper analyzes the responses to the collapse of the sugar industry of the local government, non-government organizations, sugar worker households, the sugar industry particularly the haciendas, and other industries. It shows that the local government and the non-government organizations have provided long-term assistance towards the recovery of the province. On the other hand, the sugar industry (haciendas), other industries and households have diversified and specialized, looked into other sources of income and ventured into other kinds of production. The paper also determines the socioeconomic status of the residents of the province of Negros Occidental before, during, and after the crisis. Since 1988, the levels of malnutrition, unemployment and estimated vital rates in the province of Negros Occidental have slowly approached manageable levels partly because of various intervention programs by local government and non-government organizations.