Metro Manila – The National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) recently conducted its 2022 Year-End Performance Assessment and the 2023 Strategic Planning Exercise in Hortz Hotels and Resorts last 05 – 06 January 2023. The activity was held to review the accomplishments and performance of the Board on its programs and activities in order to craft strategies and action plans for CY 2023.

Deputy Executive Director for Technical Services Teresita E. Audea welcomed the participants to the event. She expressed her expectation that the Board will be more ready to face, head on, the challenges of the times and sail through any difficulties. Moreover, she added that the Board will be looking at new strategies to be implemented jointly with the tested and time-proven ones to improve service delivery. “We will be building our strategies for 2023 based doon sa mga naranasan natin noong pandemic – how we recovered, and how we will bounce back to normal, more energetic, and more responsive to the changing times.” DED Audea said while explaining the general plan of the Board in relation to the Philippine Development Plan to address the concerns brought about by the unprecedented pandemic.

NCMB Executive Director Maria Teresita D. Lacsamana-Cancio delivered her policy direction setting for the Board. ED Lacsamana-Cancio highlighted that the purpose of every assessment is to look back on what happened and analyze the factors that came into play which led into the filing of cases – how they were resolved and how the processes helped in the resolution. From there, she expressed that the Board could also look into the problems that hindered the resolution of cases and what could be done to improve the service delivery. On a brighter side, the NCMB head congratulated the participants for a job well done in CY 2022. She said, “Personally, I was targeting zero strike for six months pag-pasok ng bagong administration ng July hanggang December. We were able to contain the number of strikes because of the cooperation and partnership between the Central Office and the Regional Branches. So I would like to thank the Regional Branches for their all-out cooperation na ‘binigay ninyo.” ED Lacsamana-Cancio also advised the participants to treat equally all labor disputes being handled by their respective branches. “You should treat them equally. Dapat pare-pareho ang tingin at efforts na ibibigay natin sa lahat ng case. We have to settle these cases, more so kapag RFA [dahil] wala namang pwedeng lapitan yung tao kung ‘di tayo lang.” ED Lacsamana-Cancio said during her message highlighting the priority of Single-Entry Approach (SENA) Requests for Assistance.
Chief of Research and Information Division Marife E. Fausto presented the NCMB Accomplishments while OIC-Chief for Financial and Management Division Mariz L. Flores presented the Financial Accomplishment of the Board. The Regional Branch Directors each presented their issues/concerns on program implementation encountered in 2022 and their strategies and action plans for 2023.

The Key Strategies for Program Improvement were presented by Conciliation and Mediation Division Chief Ericson L. Igual, Workplace Relations Enhancement Division Chief Julie F. Rodriguez and OIC-Director Atty. Kim Marie M. Roque-Aquino of the Technical Services Department. Strategies presented are in accordance with the issues encountered and concerns raised in the previous years which are related to the Labor and Employment Plan.

Deputy Executive Director for Internal Services Maria Cristina O. Mangaliman presented the targets set for bipartite mechanism-related programs of the Board for CY 2023. She raised that while the physical targets may no longer be revised as these have already been submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), strategies to be implemented in achieving the targets may be changed, and be further enhanced and improved. DED Mangaliman explained that for CY 2023, strategies for LMC and GM Facilitation, Institutionalization, Operationalization, and Enhancement may focus on companies who have had cases/RFA filed with the Board. She highlighted that this strategy is part of the corporate responsibility of the Board in achieving industrial peace across every workplace.

Financial concerns and administrative matters were also presented and discussed during the activity. The presentation included personnel appointments, vacancies, reports submission relative to the procurement activities, and learning development for administrative matters, while financial concerns include financial statements, budget and cash deficiencies, and account balances.

To end the activity, DED Audea presented the Labor and Employment Plan crafted by the Department. Additional inputs were contributed by the NCMB through the Labor Relations, Policy, and International Affairs Cluster. DED Audea highlighted the role of the NCMB in the attainment and accomplishment of the plan which is anchored in the Philippine Development Plan, Decent Work Country Programme 2020 – 2024, National Employment Recovery Strategy, Employers Agenda (excerpt from ARANGKADA) and the Workers Agenda.

END/ianne r. go