The Northern and Central Luzon (NORCEL) Cluster labor and management sector joined to strengthen and affirm once again their commitment to industrial peace, in a series of gathering following the same round table that started at Baguio City, when they convened for the second time on August 29-30, 2013 at Puerto De San Juan, San Juan, La Union.

 

“It was glad to see the success at Baguio City continued down here at the plains,” NCMB RB1 OIC Director Helena R. Flores remarked. “The turn-out of participants have exceeded our expectations,” Flores said.

 

Participants came from various companies and institutions like cement manufacturing, electric cooperatives, multipurpose cooperatives, academe, medical institutions, mining companies, hotel and restaurant, manpower and service providing agency, bottling companies, electric plant, and salt industry,

 

The 85-strong gathering composed of labor and management representatives from regions 1, 2, and Cordillera Administrative Region, were led to a five-part series of learning sessions. The tip-off tackled professionalism in the workplace and then followed a stress-free discussion on stress management by Atty. Ferdinand B. Concubierta, an accredited voluntary arbitrator, and Dr. Cherrie May B. Pocisidio, Medical Specialist II at ITRMC, respectively. Team Sual Corporation Site Supervisor Gliceria A. Avelino shared their company’s competency-based human resource development system with the aim to provide better understanding of competencies and competency frameworks as effective HR tools.

 

Atty. Benjo Santos M. Benavidez, OIC Assistant Regional Director of DOLE-NCR, had a handful of inquiries from the participants after his thorough explanation of recent Supreme Court jurisprudence and labor-related legislations. Capping the learning sessions was NCMB Deputy Executive Director Shirley M. Pascual with her talk on concepts of productivity.

 

DOLE Regional Office 1 Director Grace Y. Ursua, NCMB-CAR OIC Director Brenda Rose C. Odsey, and RCMB III Conciliator – Mediator Teresita Cancio were also present during the activity.

 

One of two highlights of the seminar was the sharing of best practices from the participants in their respective places of employment. The sharing was led by LMC practitioners like Holcim, Philippines – La Union Plant, Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. – Sta. Barbara Plant, Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, Benguet Electric Cooperative, Saint Louis College and Union Christian College.

 

The second highlight was the awarding of plaques of recognition to the region’s entries to the 2013 Search for Best LMC Practices. Such awards were given to Team Sual Corporation, Holcim, Philippines – La Union Plant and Ginebra San Miguel, Incorporated – Sta. Barabara Plant. All three entries were qualified for the national screening of the said search.

 

“We are thankful for your generous support for this activity and we hope to continue in our journey towards global competitiveness by enhancing our own selves and each of our company’s labor-management relations,” Engr. Ariel V. Gapasin said in his closing remarks.

 

The two-day seminar was spearheaded by the Ilocos Region Conflict Administration and Resolution Ensemble (I-CARE), Incorporated and the National Conciliation and Mediation Board Regional Branch No. 1. I-CARE, Incorporated is the region’s association of labor-management cooperation practitioners headed by Engr. Ariel V. Gapasin.

 

(Lester B. Panem)