C. Visayas SEnA desk awards P29.1-M workers' money claims
2024-Jul-14 08:00
SEnA AWARDS. An aerial view of downtown Cebu City. The Department of Labor and Employment 7 (Central Visayas) on Friday (July 12, 2024) reported that P29.1 million worth of monetary claims were awarded to more than 1,000 workers who sought the help of the Single-Entry Approach (SEnA) desk. (Jun Nagac)
CEBU CITY – A total of P29.1 million worth of monetary claims were awarded to more than 1,000 workers in Central Visayas who sought the help of the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) Single-Entry Approach (SEnA) desk, an official said on Friday.
Lilia Estillore, director of DOLE 7 (Central Visayas), said the regional office and its field offices addressed 1,241 requests for assistance from January to June, a cumulative record, covering the outputs of the DOLE-7 SEnA Unit.
Estillore cited the Tri-City Field Office covering the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu for assisting 571 workers, who were able to get P16.7 million in claims.
In Cebu province, 280 workers collectively benefited from the P7.5 million in claims while 115 workers from Negros Oriental were awarded P3.5 million in settlement.
About 75 workers in Bohol have benefitted from the P943,000 claims while in Siquijor, 31 workers who sought SEnA intervention received more than P500,000.
"DOLE commits to resolve disputes involving labor and management through compulsory arbitration and alternative modes of dispute resolution, such as the SEnA," Estillore said in a statement.
She explained that should the request for SEnA assistance not be settled within 30 days, the case would be referred either to the National Labor Relations Commission Regional Arbitration Branch, DOLE's inspection, or voluntary arbitration.
"With the increasing number of people making use of the SEnA to address their work-related concerns, it means that public awareness about the program is improving," she added.
SEnA was institutionalized under Republic Act 10396 on March 14, 2013.
In 2016, DOLE issued the Implementing Rules and Regulations through Department Order 151 series of 2016. (PNA)