BUTUAN CITY - The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-Caraga recently declared the 2021 Productivity Olympics Regional Winners.

The Productivity Olympics is a biennial national competition for best Productivity Improvement programs of Micro, Small, & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) nationwide.

The nine regional winners are: Andres Soriano Memorial Hospital Cooperative, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Bislig Massage Therapists Association, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Mangagoy Farmers Fisherfolks and Community Multi-Purpose Cooperative (MAFFISCO-MPC), Bislig City, Surigao del Sur; Amparitas Integrated Farm, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur; Southway College of Technology (SOCOTECH), San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; JIDA Aqua Resources, Butuan City; Almont Hotel, Inc, Butuan City; Cake Miss, Butuan City; and San Isidro Upland Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative (SIUFMULCO), Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

The declaration of regional winners was done during the monthly Board Meeting held in Butuan City. The Regional Screening Committee headed by Chairperson Naomi Lyn C. Abellana together with the RTWPB-Caraga Board Members and Mr. Cornelius B. Mahinay, a productivity champion from DOLE-Surigao del Norte scored and rated the nine establishments with these criteria; Business Continuity, Employee Engagement and Employment Reservation.

Chairperson Abellana, in her message, congratulated all the winners for overcoming and surviving difficulties. She said that, “amid pandemic, this years’ Productivity Winners did not stop placing productivity in the workplace. They preserved jobs and they did not just preserved jobs but also they remained compliant to the Labor Standards as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Standards."

“Together, let us bounce back and let us bounce back better than before,” she added.

Executive Director of National Wages and Productivity Commission, Maria Criselda R. Sy, also said that at first NWPC had doubts in finding enterprises who can inspire others to conquer their fears, to absorb and to adopt to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and execute decisions with unthinkable speed. But after she looked at the winners of Caraga Region, with certainty she can say that there are many more like them because Filipino entrepreneur is hardworking, resilient, agile and most of all a fighter and a survivor. 

"The threat of pandemic still remains and its imminent and that is why we at the NWPC together with Regional Boards nationwide, remain committed, vigilant and aggressive in reaching out and providing enterprises with the necessary training and technical assistance that will help ensure their recovery and transition to a better, stronger and more productive next normal," she said.

More so, she thanked and congratulated the Caraga board for believing and pursuing resolutely the search for the resilient and innovative enterprises in Caraga. 

She also congratulated the regional winners for demonstrating courage, determination and creativity amid the debilitating effect of Covid. To end her message, she encouraged all to always keep the productivity spirit high in Caraga Region.

Board Secretary VI, Mr. Earl D. Dela Victoria officially announced and declared the 2021 Productivity Olympics Regional Winners by reading the resolution signed by the Regional Screening Committee.

The regional winners were all grateful to the board for the opportunities given to them and recognizing their ways in implementing Productivity Programs introduced and shared by RTWPB.  The nine regional winners including the Board are hoping to advance in the next round as National Finalist and will bring home the glory and pride to Caraga.

During the activity, RB Caraga also able to acknowledge and gave a plaque of recognition and appreciation to its institutional partners in delivering its plans, programs, services and targets towards achieving its vision, to include the following: Mr. Keith C. Duran, Mr. Maximo C. Magallen, Jr., Ms. May C. Velonta, Ms. Genebelle B. Bal, and Ms. Buhawe C. Correa, all from DOLE Agusan del Norte Provincial Office; Abner M. Caga and Nora L. Molde of Philippine Information Agency; and Mr. Leonidas Dingding of Bislig City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc.. (RTWPB Caraga/PIA Caraga)