Ninety-three workers of Consunji-owned oil palm giant Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI Inc.) were retrenched on October 24, 2025, in what labor advocates described as the latest wave of mass layoffs marked by alleged illegal dismissal and labor rights violations.
The October retrenchment is the fourth and largest since the start of the year, following earlier batches that dismissed 22, 43, and 60 workers, respectively, according to data from the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).
In total, at least 218 workers have been laid off since January of this year.
The company, based in Barangay Gatuslao, employed around 600 workers (estimated 400 men and 200 women).
While some received two weeks’ pay, many in the later batches have yet to receive separation compensation despite being made to sign pre-written resignation letters without dates.
Workers said they were told by HAPI supervisors that they could “no longer go to DOLE” and report their grievances after signing the pre-written letter.
NFSW spokesperson Mario Tapi-on said the retrenchment appeared systematic and illegal, noting that workers who served for two to three years were dismissed without due process or clear cause.
“Gina bayaran lang sila sang manubo sang ila kabudlay, kag wala sang benepisyo nga gina hatag. Daw gina kawat sang HAPI ang mga benepisyo nga dapat nila bayaran,” Tapi-on said.
He said deductions for SSS, PhilHealth, and BIR taxes were made even though workers were not issued official receipts and many never provided account numbers for the premiums.
“Gina buhinan sila para kuno sa buwis, pero wala sang resibo nga gina balik sa ila,” Tapi-on added.
Workers also alleged they were denied 13th-month pay, service incentive leave, and other benefits required under labor laws.
Some who went on short absences were declared “AWOL” without notice, while others were demoted from regular to casual status before being terminated.
Several workers said they were persuaded to donate their land to HAPI with promises of permanent employment.
“Sang wala pa HAPI, wala man kami na gutman. Sang nag-abot sila kag wala na kami obra, gutman na kami,” said Jesimar Espares, a worker from Barangay Gatuslao who served nearly three years.
He initially was hired as a surveyor, then reassigned to watering tasks. He also added that after being regularized, he got demoted as casual status.
“Hinulsol gid nga gin donate, kay na-bulldoze na amon duta,” Espares said, referring to the 10 hectares rice fields they donated to the company, which were later bulldozed.
Tapi-on said the retrenchments are tied to the company’s reduced need for labor as thousands of hectares of oil palm mature.
“They will slowly retrench all workers since the oil palm is already growing,” he explained, estimating that at least 3,000 hectares of the 6,000-hectare plantation are already planted.
NFSW has urged the remaining workers to resist signing waivers and to file complaints before the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“Dapat mag-organisa sila, magtukod sang unyon, para protektahan ang ila kinamatarong,” Tapi-on said.
He added that the workers’ fight should not only be for unpaid benefits and wages, but also for reclaiming the very land they were made to surrender.
“Dapat indi lang pangabudlay ang ila pakigbato, kundi ang duta nga ila gin-donar sa HAPI. Indi dapat mapabilin nga ila pa nga duta, ginakuha pa sa ila,” Tapi-on said.
The federation said it plans to verify whether HAPI has been remitting workers’ contributions to SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG.
The plantation’s operations remain under a cease-and-desist order issued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) on June 5, 2025, which was served on June 13.
The order was issued because had failed to secure the required Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) before commencing earth-moving, quarry and oil-palm planting activities.
Paghimutad 