Contractuals assured security of tenure - DOLE

LEGAZPI CITY, MAR 6 (PIA) -- Contractual workers across Bicol region need not worry losing their jobs hastily, intimidated, and anxious of unpromising future upon completion of their contract of employment.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional office here has assured contractual workers of ‘security of tenure’ by virtue of Department Order No. 18-A providing that contractual workers cannot be terminated without due cause and due process and shall enjoy all the benefits and privileges accorded to a regular employee.

Establishments or companies listed as principals, or those engaging the services of a contractor, must justify to DOLE that the work to be done by the contractor are not necessary and desirable to the business of the company.

DOLE V regional director Nathaniel V. Lacambra said DO 18-A, also known as, “The Guidelines in Labor Contracting and Sub-Contracting,” was issued by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimipilis-Baldoz in November last year and will take effect this year.

Lacambra explained that the new policy is designed to address the issue on contractualization which undermines the security of tenure of contractual workers, adding that it also addresses the issue of labor only contracting (LOC) and fly-by-night establishments that are contracting services without sufficient capital thereby sacrificing their worker’s security of tenure and labor standards benefit.

“While we assure our contractual workers to worry no more, we are also soliciting the cooperation and support of all the construction and service contractors and sub-contractors in the region to abide by the new policy,” he stressed.

“This new law has given us (DOLE) more power to regulate the practice of job contracting and strictly prohibiting labor-only contracting,” Lacambra added.

The new policy, according to DOLE V assistant regional director Exequiel Ronnie A. Guzman, will provide safety net protection to the workers by ensuring that contractors/sub-contractors are legitimate and have substantial capitalization.

DOLE V also emphasized that the “five months - five months” contract will be addressed by the provision of the new department order.

Mona Catoria, 37-years old and a management representative of Elkan Konstrak Development Corporation said that, “Wala naman problema dun sa security of tenure at compliance namin sa labor standards. Ang parang nakakagulat lang eh yung registration na P25,000 dati P100 lang tapos ngayon ang taas na at yung requirement na dapat ay di bababa sa P3 milyon and paid-up capitalization. Sa amin, malalaking estalishments ay ayos lang, e pano yung mga maliliit at nag uumpisa pa lamang? Kung ang layunin natin ay mag-generate ng employment, di ang mga maliliit na sub-contractors/contractors ay di na mabibigyan ng pagkakataon na lumago”

DOLE- V officials, however, said they will take note of all the concerns raised by the stakeholders.

With the unanimous concerns, the participants have agreed to organize an Industry Tripartite Council (ITC) after the orientation in order to come up with their written position on DO18-A.

“Our advise to the small contractors/sub-contractors if they cannot comply with the P3 million paid-up capitalization, then they can form a merger.” Lacambra said.

DOLE V has set another orientation on DO 18-A on March for the members of the tri-media under its DOLE and Media Alliance (DAMA Bicol) Program.

“The tri-media is our partner in information dissemination. We need their help in letting the public know this new development on labor laws.” Lacambra concluded. (MAL-PIA V/DOLE V)


DOLE Sorsogon holds Career Coaching Seminar

LEGAZPI CITY, March 6 (PIA) -- Sorsogueños are looking forward to better employability and career path in the coming years after the field office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here led the Capability Training in Career Coaching for stakeholders held last week.

DOLE V was able to train 18 managers of Public Employment Services Office and 11 guidance counselors from Sorsogon province; they will eventually guide graduating students in deciding what career path to take.

DOLE V was assisted by the Bicol Career Guidance Network (BCGN) and PESO Federation of Sorsogon (PESO Sorsogon) in holding said training event.

DOLE V regional director Nathaniel V. Lacambra explained that career coach is a well trained officer responsible in determining the talents and skills of a client, whether a student, a job seeker, or an employee, needing advice in choosing a career or helping students in trying to figure out the right college course.

The two-day training equipped the participants to become career coaches on career pathing, latest employment trends, recruitment and placement, illegal recruitment, overseas opportunities, cultural employment attitude orientation, entrepreneurship skills, and personality development.

“ Career coaches are very much needed since the region has a high 38.4 percent underemployment rate,” he noted.

Lacambra said the unemployment rate in the region entails that the career choices or the courses being taken by Bicolanos do not match the skills needed by the local industries here.

He added that in the U.S. and other developed countries, career coaches are employed by the government to align the skills demand of that country and this has given these countries an edge in placing workers to specific jobs.

In Sorsogon, concerns on skills mismatch and unemployment incidence of four-year courses graduates have prompted DOLE Sorsogon, headed by provincial director Imelda E. Romanillos, to intensify its campaign in establishing more career coaches in order to guide high schools and college students, in choosing their college courses or career paths so to speak.

“We have seen youngster in Sorsogon taking up courses because their friend took it or because their parents wanted them to take it. Later these youngsters would realize that they are nor really inclined to it and this is the reason why they perform poor and more often drop out from school. Waste of time, money, effort,” Romanillos said.

The training is the first BCGN activity this year and is in-line with the Project Jobs Fit (PJF) and Skills Registration System (SRS). (MAL-PIA V/DOLE V)


Women train on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation

By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, Mar 6 (PIA) -- A Community Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR/CCA) trainings will be conducted here for women to be spearheaded by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).

PDRRM Officer Carlos Galvez said that the training will be held this coming March 7-9 in two separate schools in St. John de Apostles Academy and Camarines Norte College, both in the town of Labo.

He said that another training will be on March 29-30 for the out of school youth (OSY) and the women in the barangay of Pinagtigasan of Calaguas in Vinzons town.

In the training of which to be attended most of women, the PSWDO will discuss the Magna Carta of Women.

OIC PSWDO Cynthia de la Cruz said that the provincial government together with the local government units of the different towns will also display their streamers/tarpaulins in their respective locality.

She added that the local government units of the towns will also conduct different activities in support for this month celebration of women.

This year’s national theme for the celebration “Women Weathering Climate Change Governance and Accountability, Everyone’s Responsibility”.(RBM/PIA Camarines Norte).


90 nurses completes RN HEALS program

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Mar 6 (PIA) -- A total of 90 nurses completed the RN-HEALS of the Department of Health (DOH) in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

RN HEALS, an acronym for Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement And Local Service, is expected to address the shortage of skilled and experienced nurses in 1,221 rural and unserved or underserved communities for one year.

It was started last year to provide essential health services to all Filipinos and as well as address the issue of nurses’ unemployment.

In this connection, an exit conference was held last February 15, 2012 at Rackdell Inn wherein the 90 nurses received certificates of Deployment and Competency warded by Governor Joseph C. Cua who was the guest speaker of the event, Provincial Health Team Leader Dr. Gladys Escote and representatives from supporting agencies.

Aside from P8,000 monthly stipend, an additional P2,000 allowance were also provided by local government units for each nurse.

Meanwhile, the next batch of nurses that will qualify for the RN HEALS program succeeding the previous batch will be announced this week.

According to Dr. Escote, out of the 130 nurses who applied for the program, only 95 will get their slots. (MAL/EAB-PIA Catanduanes)


Bicol records slow rate of price increase in goods, services in Jan 2012

LEGAZPI CITY, Mar 6 (PIA) -- Increase in the prices of goods and services in the Bicol region slows down as the annual inflation rate drops from 4.2 percent in December 2011 to 3.2 percent in January this year, according to the latest data on Consumer Price Index (CPI)for all income households released by the National Statistics Office here.

Compared to the 4.3 percent inflation rate in the same period last year, the rate for January 2012 is lower by 1.1 percent

Of significant contribution to the downtrend is the slower rate of price increase in food and non- alcoholic beverages from 4.5 percent to 2.7 percent followed by alcoholic beverages and tobacco with a decline from 5.9 percent to 4.8 percent and household equipment and routine house maintenance from 3.2 percent to 2.2 percent

The same decline, although at a minimum rate, is recorded in other commodity groups including furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house with a decline of 1 percent from December 2011 to January 2012, transport with 0.4 percent and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with 0.3 percent

Also at a lower price are commodities and services for clothing and footwear, health, recreation and culture, and restaurants and miscellaneous goods and services.

On the other hand, the communication service group inched up by 0.2 percent while education remained unchanged in the past two months.

NSO noted that the transport commodity and service group exhibited the highest annual rate of 4.4 percent from 3.5 percent for January 2011 to 7.9 percent on the same month this year.

The province of Camarines Sur recorded the lowest inflation rate at 0.6 percent followed by Catanduanes at 0.8 percent. Albay and Sorsogon tied up at 0.9 percent.

Masbate exhibited faster change in price of goods at 2.1 percent followed by Camarines Norte at 1.6 percent.

Meanwhile the average prices of consumer goods in the region dropped slightly as the Consumer Price Index for all income households inched down at 130.7 percent from 130.8 percent of the previous month.

The Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Sorsogon was sustained for the past two months while Albay increased from P0.79 to P0.80.

PPP is the value of money as measured by the quantity and quality of products it can buy.

On the other hand, inflation rate is the annual percentage change in the CPI or the measure of changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households over a period of time.

Today, most economists favor a low, steady rate of inflation. Generally, the responsibility of keeping the rate of inflation low and stable is usually given to monetary authorities who control the size of the money supply.

In the Philippines, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is the country’s central monetary authority. (MAL/SAA< PIA V/Albay)