NCMB CAPACITATES ITS REGIONAL PROGRAM IMPLEMENTERS ON THE ENHANCED LEARNING MODULES ON LABOR-MANAGEMENT COOPERATION, GRIEVANCE MACHINERY AND VOLUNTARY ARBITRATION

Posted on October 1, 2023

Quezon City, Metro Manila – Conducted annually, the Trainers’ Training aims to capacitate the Board’s program implementers with necessary knowledge and skills in advocating the mechanisms for sustaining harmonious relations at every workplace in the country. This year, the training focused on orienting the participants with the updates and key features of the enhanced decks on Labor-Management Cooperation (LMC), Grievance Machinery (GM) and Voluntary Arbitration (VA) programs of the Board and providing takeaways that are useful in performing their work more effectively.

Held on 4-6 September 2023 at B Hotel, Quezon City, the training was attended by the 65 technical and administrative personnel from the Board’s 16 Regional Conciliation and Mediation Branches and the Central Office.

In her welcome remarks, NCMB Executive Director Maria Teresita D. Lacsamana- Cancio briefed the participants on what to expect from the whole duration of the training. She highlighted the revamping of the standardized modules for the promotion of LMC, GM, and VA which intends to help the implementers better explain the concepts of the three programs of the Board. She emphasized the importance of adhering to the prescribed standard modules to ensure consistency, quality and effectiveness of delivery across all the Regional Branches of the Board. She however noted that while there are established means to present the decks, this does not limit the technical staff to customize and provide relevant examples appropriate for a particular group of audience, for ease of presentation.

To enrich the participants’ view on digital transformation and how it impacts the organizational landscape, Messrs. Reinerio A. Alba and Renz J. Nucup of DOLE-ILS tackled the advantages of new technologies in transforming workplaces into a more efficient and connected environment. They shared how ILS transitioned from traditional to digitalized work systems and the numerous benefits derived from it.

Meanwhile, Atty. Ramon A. Saura III, DOLE-BLR Mediator-Arbiter, discussed the fundamentals of employee discipline and dismissal, focusing on the substantive and procedural requirements of termination. Atty. Saura’s discussion aimed at increasing the participants’ knowledge and appreciation of the various concepts relating to disciplinary proceedings to better equip them in addressing related concerns during plant-level and area-wide seminars.

The discussion of the key features of the learning modules on LMC, GM and VA followed. These were presented by Chief LEO Julie F. Rodriguez, Director Atty. Ronda T. Doctor-Malimban and OIC-Director Atty. Kim Marie M. Roque-Aquino, respectively. After which, an actual demonstration of how the learning modules should be presented was delivered by Supervising LEO Lester B. Panem (LMC), LEO III Papiniano O. Macayan III (GM) and Supervising LEO Jemeia Mae E. De Eyoy (VA), following the prescribed decks, session guides and scripts.

Aimed at reaching a common ground in implementing the Board’s programs, there was an exchange of the common issues and concerns encountered by the technical staff on advocacy activities, documentation, and reports submission and reconciliation. Chief Rodriguez and OIC-Director Roque-Aquino addressed every issue and presented clarifications and agreements as guides for the regional implementers in accomplishing their tasks.

Before closing, OIC-Director Roque-Aquino presented the “ways forward”, highlighting the important details discussed during the 3-day training and summarizing the ways in which the participants could improve their work and the presentation of the learning modules to target establishments.

In her concluding message, Deputy Executive Director (DED) Teresita E. Audea expressed high hopes that the participants would be able to apply what they have learned during the training and that they would fully and confidently explain the Board’s programs using the enhanced modules aided by the session guide and script provided.