CALOOCAN CITY, (PIA) --The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) recognized nine (9) micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which implemented outstanding productivity improvement programs amid the pandemic during the 2023 Productivity Olympics Awarding Ceremony in Quezon City on October 19.
“Productivity improvement is one of our flagship advocacy programs because it creates a virtuous cycle that expands, so to speak, the size of the pie for everyone to share. Better productivity levels improve profit for businesses. This allows them to expand their portfolio, resulting in employment generation, higher wages and better working conditions for workers, and industrial peace,” said DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma, who also serves as chairperson of the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
Thirty MSME finalists in the agribusiness, service, and industry sectors vied for the national award.
Nominees were assessed based on the design and implementation of their productivity improvement programs and their impact on the workers and enterprise.
They were evaluated based on business excellence (50 percent), employee engagement and expansion (30 percent), innovation and green initiatives (15 percent), and corporate social accountability (5 percent).
For the agribusiness sector, this year’s awardees were Citrus Hill Plantation in Caraga (micro-enterprise category), Umani Cabal Farm Inc. in SOCCSKSARGEN (small enterprise category), and Amparitas Integrated Farm also in Caraga (medium enterprise category).
Winners under the industry sector were Manjous Homemade Delicacies in Cagayan Valley Region for the micro-enterprise category, Eva Marie Arts and Crafts in Eastern Visayas for the small enterprise category, and Lighthouse Cooperative also in Cagayan Valley for the medium enterprise category.
For the service sector, the winners were Dubby’s Ultimate Burgers Food House in Central Visayas for the micro-enterprise category, Prime Seller Marketing in Bicol Region for the small enterprise category, and The Manor at Camp John Hay in Cordillera Administrative Region for the medium enterprise category.
The national winners each received a P120,000 cash prize, a trophy, and priority endorsement to NWPC training programs and webinars.
Meanwhile, SN Aboitiz Power–Magat Inc. in Region 2 and the Energy Development Corporation–Mt. Apo Geothermal Project in Region 12 received the special citation dubbed, “Gawad Luntian” for their contribution to sustaining the environment, generating green jobs, and providing a myriad of incentives to workers.
The NWPC also conferred the “Gawad Inklusibo” to enterprises that promote gender equality and social inclusion in their business practices. The winners were Umani Cabal Farm Inc. for the agribusiness sector, JN Cacao Food and Beverage Store for the industry sector, and Dubby’s Ultimate Burgers Food House for the service sector.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-Cagayan Valley Region was also recognized as the 2023 Best RTWPB.
Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto R. Bitonio Jr. of the Labor Relations, Policy and International Affairs Cluster, encouraged the MSMEs to continue promoting the productivity movement and incorporate green, sustainable, gender-sensitive, and socially responsible business practices.
With the theme, “From Striving to Thriving: Reset and Reposition for Impact,” the biennial event was led by the NWPC and the 16 RTWPBs.
The Department also invites MSMEs to avail of the training programs and technical assistance provided by the NWPC.
It uses a ladderrized approach consisting of basic, intermediate, and advanced levels of training. Enterprises that have successfully implemented productivity improvement programs and have continuously adopted productivity technologies are qualified to join the Productivity Olympics. (dole/pia-ncr)
