Region 1 - Down the winding road of the beautifully landscaped mountainous area by the sea, the 1,218 megawatts - producing Sual Power Station of TeaM Energy Corporation lights up the night sky like a huge Christmas tree to the sound of a gigantic turbine turning at high speed.

 

Locatedd on a 142-hectare plant complex area, the place was the destination of the first ever Lakbay-Aral of the I-CARE held last January 30, 2013 at Brgy. Pangascasan, Sual, Pangasinan. I-CARE officials, headed by its President, Engr. Ariel V. Gapasin, instituted the Lakbay-Aral Program with the objective of sharing and learning from a member company's best Labor-Management Cooperation (LMC) practices.

 

"Through this lakbay-aral, we journey for education to learn, unlearn, and re-learn from our comrades who have acquired wisdom in terms of experience, capacity, ability, and credibility in the sustenance and improvement of working conditions, labor-management relations, and dispute settlement," RCMB1 OIC Director II Helena R. Flores said in her message during the program.

 

NCMB Executive Director Reynaldo R. Ubaldo was the guest of honor and speaker. In his lecture, he emphasized in reminding them the critical importance of good personal and interpersonal values in the realm of the process involved in alternative dispute resolution. He pointed out that the ADR process is not merely talks and negotiations but talks and negotiations with a responsive attitude and responsibility-driven actions. He also discussed the DOLE Program of Single Entry Approach (SEnA).

 

Ms. Gliceria "Pinky" Avelino, HR Head of Sual Power Station showcased the company's best LMC practices. She featured the company's initiatives in the promotion and improvement of its LMC program and structure. These include consultation with the USPPE before the implementation of major programs like talent retention, promotional increases, job re-evaluation project and new payout schedule. She also emphasized the strengthening of open-door communication and plant-level dispute settlement.

 

On the other hand, Union of Sual Power Plant Employees (USPPE) President Mr. Pedro Masayon presented their Union's modified structure as provided in Article IX of their existing CBA. Under said provision, the parties agree to create a Work Improvement Committee (WIC) composed of representatives from the Company and three (3) representatives from the Union. Subject to operational requirements, the parties agree to meet once every quarter of the year or as often as the parties mutually agree exclusively for the purpose of discussing and improving productivity and work efficiency, with the view to advancing the interest and improving the competitiveness of the Company.

 

NCMB-CAR OIC Director Brenda Odsey proudly shared their experience and the best practices of The Manor Hotel at Baguio City when they bagged the Most Outstanding LMC Award in the recent LMC Convention in 2011.

 

The participants also had the chance to discuss with Director Ubaldo their issues and concerns arising from labor-management relationship.

 

The Lakbay-Aral was attended by 33 participants from different fields of industry: education, energy, cement and foods and beverage industry. Some of these institutions sent both representatives from the management and from the Union.

 

Before the day ended, Union groups of TeaM Sual, Holcim-La Union, and CCBPI-Calasiao took the opportunity to have a dialogue and consultation with Director Ubaldo who gladly provided them technical advice with regards to their concerns.

 

The participants joined in the plant tour that allowed a close look at the huge mechanical machinery of the largest and most cost-effective coal-fired power plant in the Philippines.

 

(Lester B. Panem)