DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental, Aug. 7 (PIA) -- Some 118 workers in Negros Oriental received around P5 million in cash claims through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Single Entry Approach (SEnA) program.
The amount is part of the P173 million awarded to 2,904 affected employees from all over Central Visayas.
The various monetary claims covered underpayment of wages, maternity claims, non-payment of 13th month pay, holiday pay, night shift differential, service incentive leave, and overtime pay, among others.
In a press statement, DOLE-7 disclosed that the month of May registered the biggest amount awarded to 1,136 workers at around P103.5M, while in March, there were 887 affected workers who received P43.7 million.
Around P11.8 million was also released to 405 workers in February, while 221 workers received P8.1M in January.
In June, P3.9 million was awarded to 159 workers, while in April, P1.7 Million was paid to 96 workers.
DOLE-7 Regional Director Lilia Estillore said the positive outcome of SEnA as an alternative dispute resolution mechanism is the result of the collective efforts of DOLE-7’s different field offices.
For the first semester of this year, DOLE-7 handled a total of 1,379 requests for assistance (RFAs) with a settlement rate of 84.70% and a disposition rate of 97.75%.
Estillore lauded all the Single Entry Assistance Desk Officers (SEADOs) for exerting their best effort in ensuring that the requests for assistance received from clients - either from the online SEnA or from the walk-in clients - are resolved within 30 calendar days or even earlier than the prescribed process cycle time.
DOLE-7 OIC-Assistant Regional Director Emmanuel Ferrer urged both workers and employers who are aggrieved to take full advantage of the SEnA, as conflicts arising from employer-employee relationship are expected to get settled within 30 calendar days through conciliation and mediation proceedings.
The e-SEnA or online SEnA can be accessed at the DOLE-7’s official website - ro7.dole.gov.ph. (JCT/PIA7 Negros Oriental with reports from DOLE-7)
