The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-6), through its Single Entry Approach (SEnA) program, has facilitated the release of P93,040,365.82 separation pay for 50 employees.
According to DOLE-6, usually it is the workers benefitting from SEnA but this time, it was Panay Power Corporation (PPC) and Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC), two of Western Visayas biggest electric power providers, that sought assistance from the program.
The settlement came after the power providers decided to implement a redundancy program and retrenched fifty 50 employees. The current market conditions and increasing fuel cost, caused the companies to suffer from reduced operations and it can no longer maintain its manpower complement.
The companies filed for a Request for Assistance (RFA) for the announcement of the redundancy program and payment of separation pay.
DOLE-6, through its Iloilo Field Office, immediately took action to the request and supervised the payment of separation pay through SEnA Desk Officer Nilo Durban. It only took one day to close the RFA.
Some 43 workers from PPC and seven workers from PEDC were paid with their separation pay amounting to P75,999,305.94 and P17,041,059.88, respectively.
DOLE-6 Regional Director lawyer Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr. expressed his appreciation to the fast and immediate release of money claims to the workers.
Rodriguez always emphasizes that due process should always be observed and the rightful benefits should be given to whom it is due.JBG/DOLE6/laf/PIA6-Iloilo
