Labor Requirements

Activity	Workers/ha	Season	Hours/Day
Planting	2–3	May–June	6–8
Maintenance	1	Year-round	4–6
Harvesting	3–5	Jul–Dec	4–6 (early AM)
Pruning	2	Jan–Feb	6–8
Processing	2–3	Jul–Dec	6–8

Harvesting Workforce

Picker Qualifications

• Keen eyesight to identify correct bud stage
• Gentle hands — rough handling damages flowers and reduces quality
• Speed — experienced pickers harvest 10–15 kg per day
• Early morning availability (4:00–10:00 AM peak picking time)
• Physical fitness — standing and bending for 4–6 hours

Training Program

1. Day 1: Flower identification — correct species, bud stage, quality standards
2. Day 2: Picking technique — proper grip, twist, placement in basket
3. Day 3: Quality control — what to pick, what to leave, handling damaged flowers
4. Day 4: Supervised practice with experienced picker
5. Day 5: Speed test — must harvest 3+ kg per day to be retained

Compensation Models

Model	Rate	Pros	Cons
Daily wage	₱350–500/day	Simple, predictable	Low motivation for speed
Per kilo	₱15–25/kg	Motivates productivity	Quality may suffer
Hybrid	₱250/day + ₱10/kg bonus	Best of both	More complex to track
Seasonal contract	₱8,000–12,000/month	Loyal workforce	Higher fixed cost

Peak Season Logistics

Daily Schedule

Time	Activity
3:30 AM	Workers arrive, receive baskets, brief orientation
4:00 AM	Begin harvesting (before sunrise for best quality)
6:00 AM	First basket collection, quality check
8:00 AM	Peak fragrance period — maximum effort
10:00 AM	Final collection, weighing, payment
10:30 AM	Flowers transported to processing/storage

Labor Laws (Philippines)

• Minimum wage: ₱350–610/day depending on region (2024 rates)
• Working hours: 8 hours/day, 48 hours/week maximum
• Overtime: 25% premium for regular OT, 30% for holiday OT
• Benefits: SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG mandatory for regular employees
• 13th month pay: Mandatory for all employees
• Seasonal workers: Must be registered, entitled to proportional benefits