▁alone , ▁invest ments ▁to ▁sugar ▁industry ▁have ▁amount ed ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁billion ▁pes os , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁In vest ments . ▁These ▁invest ments ▁are ▁private ▁sector ▁secured , ▁s our ced ▁and ▁fund ed , ▁without ▁cost ▁or ▁security ▁from ▁government . ▁ ▁Social ▁am el ior ation ▁Sug ar ▁industry ▁has ▁a ▁social ▁component , ▁benef iting ▁sugar c ane ▁workers . ▁Through ▁the ▁Social ▁Am el ior ation ▁Fund ▁( S AF ), ▁a ▁li en ▁is ▁im posed ▁on ▁the ▁volume ▁of ▁sugar ▁produced . ▁This ▁fund ▁is ▁should ered ▁by ▁sugar ▁plan ters ▁and ▁mill ers ▁and ▁collected ▁by ▁the ▁Bureau ▁of ▁R ural ▁Work ers . ▁The ▁benefits ▁for ▁the ▁sugar c ane ▁workers ▁under ▁the ▁li en ▁include ▁c ash ▁bonus , ▁death ▁benefit , ▁mat ern ity ▁benefit , ▁educational ▁grant ▁and ▁liv elihood ▁projects . ▁ ▁Research ▁& ▁Development ▁( R & D ) ▁The ▁sugar ▁industry ▁funds ▁its ▁own ▁research , ▁development ▁and ▁extension ▁programs ▁through ▁the ▁Philipp ine ▁Sug ar ▁Research ▁Institute ▁Foundation , ▁Inc . ▁( PH IL S UR IN ) ▁with ▁aim ▁to ▁develop ▁high ▁yield ing ▁can e ▁vari eties . ▁The ▁Philipp ine ▁government , ▁through ▁S RA , ▁provides ▁the ▁extension ▁efforts ▁in ▁partners hips ▁with ▁the ▁Mill ▁District ▁Development ▁Coun c ils ▁( MD DC ). ▁P H IL S UR IN ▁ass ists ▁this ▁initi ative ▁through ▁the ▁h iring ▁of ▁Mill ▁District ▁Co ordin ators ▁and ▁financial