BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Some 5,160 workers have received P219,109,842.89 monetary claims through the Single Entry Approach (SEnA), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Monday.
The DOLE regional office’s SEnA scorecard as of November was reported by DOLE Regional Director Atty. Ana Dione to Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
Dione noted that total money claims accounted a 99 percent rate in the settlement of 1,577 of 1,597 requests for assistance (RFAs) handled by the regional and field offices.
“Our settlement rate represents the largest portion of 1,597 RFAs received and disposed by this regional office, along with its seven field offices. We achieved a 100 percent overall disposition rate in CY-2016,” Dione explained.
The settlement rate, was also higher by 5 percentage points from last year’s rate, for the same period, in settling 1,134 of 1,208 RFAs handled by the regional/field offices.
“The SEnA is a proven developmental intervention in the speedy yet inexpensive alternative resolution of labor disputes between management and labor. As we continuously find ways to improve the way we do things, as evidence in our successful transition from an ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015 certified government agency, we will stay committed to find a win-win solution for both parties to prevent their issues from escalating to full blow labor cases,” Dione said, adding:
“With government focused on industrial peace, the SEnA is envisioned to be the undisputed sought-after mediation venue for both management and labor in the disposition of their unforeseen disputes by preventing them in experiencing lost hours of work and productivity, likewise the expensive and tedious litigation processes they might have to go through. Again we say: If you have problems at the workplace, we have the SEnA to help you.”
By province, Pampanga recorded the highest settlement amounting to P116,568,673.53 covering 852 workers, of which, P101,786,031.59 covering 518 workers are from the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ).
“The existence of the DOLE Clark Satellite Office has made it easier, convenient, and economical for workers or employers to file a request for assistance there than the need to travel inconveniently through traffic and distance just to reach our regional office or the Pampanga Field Office,” Dione said.
Other provinces garnered the following settlements: Bulacan (P46,585,067.93 – 1,122 workers), Nueva Ecija (P25,713,012.07 – 1,582), Tarlac (P21,556,227.85 – 397), Bataan (P4,627,229.78 – 817), Zambales (P3,834,425.18 – 350), and Aurora (P130,054.92 – 27).
The regional office, for its part, was able to settle monetary claims amounting to P95,151.53 which benefited 13 workers.
The regional and field offices have continuously improved the process cycle time in the settlement of RFAs, with some less than a week or even at times within the day/hour.
The DOLE’s SEnA continues to be a breakthrough avenue for both workers and employers in the speedy and inexpensive way in resolving various labor disputes.
