Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay- The DOLE Zamboanga Sibugay Field Office through the Single Entry Approach (SENA) Program has successfully settled labor disputes involving 29 workers for the month of January 2015. Twenty-six (26) workers (2 females) out of the 29 workers who filed Request for Assistance (RFA) were awarded with Monetary Benefits amounting to 1 million and 3 workers were reinstated to their employment.

Majority of the request for assistance filed by workers were claims on monetary benefits and issues on dismissal. It is worthy to note that the huge portion of the settlement can be attributed to the RFA filed by the 14 Security Guards of New Strong Point Security Agency who were claiming for unpaid wages and cash bonds amounting to Php 789,000. The owner of the Security Agency has willingly traveled from Davao City to Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay to resolve issues and claims of the Security Guards which was very vital to its immediate resolution.

Following the DOLE Secretary's directive on dejudicialize labor dispute resolution system and streamlining procedures in the settlement, DOLE9 is pursuing the path of the Single Entry Approach (SEnA) to provide speedy, impartial and inexpensive conciliation-mediation services to labor and management in Zamboanga Sibugay. According to DOLE9 Regional Director Sisinio B. Cano, the doors of the DOLE is open to both employers and employees to discuss and settle their labor-related issues through SEnA as our way to promote the principle of shared responsibility between workers and employers to foster industrial peace.

Zamboanga Sibugay Field Office