Dedicated to delivering quality services to its clientele, the National Conciliation and Mediation Board held Specialized Training for Conciliator-Mediators on 21-22 November 2022 and Single-Entry Assistance Desk Officer (SEADO) Training for NCMB Personnel on 23-24 November 2022. The two (2) consecutive training courses were conducted at Microtel UP Technohub by Wyndham, Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City and attended by the Board’s case and RFA handlers nationwide.

Jumpstarting the productive week, the Specialized Training for Conciliator-Mediators, true to its name, is an exclusive training for the Board’s Conciliator-Mediators aimed at enhancing their conflict resolution skills. This year’s training course focused on the areas of data gathering and probing; option generation and creative thinking; persuasion; and report writing. The Board tapped three (3) Regional Directors, RCMB NCR Director Cynthia C. Foncardas, RCMB X Director Ligaya R. Lumbay, and RCMB XI Director Aerrine Marie R. Reyes, to share their expertise on conciliation and mediation and serve as resource speakers on the topics.

In her opening remarks, Executive Director Maria Teresita D. Lacsamana-Cancio emphasized the importance of going beyond learning the essential knowledge and acquiring the appropriate skills. It is of utmost importance that conciliator-mediators can apply such knowledge and skills in the right situation in their actual handling of labor disputes.

Following the footsteps of the conciliator-mediators in their endeavor to maintain harmonious relations between labor and management, the SEADOs were given a two-day course on the same set of skills provided to conciliator-mediators but focused more on issues identified to be difficult to settle which may likely result to referrals to NLRC and DOLE. These issues include illegal dismissal and those involving agency workers, security guards, construction workers, bus/truck drivers, and BPO employees. Central Officials, Deputy Executive Director Teresita E. Audea, OIC-Director Kim Marie M. Roque-Aquino, and CMD Chief Ericson L. Igual, along with RCMB X Director Lumbay took turns in upskilling the SEADOs.

ED Lacsamana-Cancio expressed her hope that the Board’s SEADOs would be able to effectively assist the clientele towards the resolution of their issues by applying their learnings during the two-day training.
Both training courses utilized case scenario exercises, and sharing of experiences to emphasize the topics. Mock conciliation-mediation also gave life to the case studies assigned to the groups in which participants were tasked to apply what they have learned from the lecturettes and discussions.

Indeed, the consecutive training courses definitely fulfilled the Board’s commitment to regularly upskill its employees, which in turn, ensures competency to address the clientele’s labor-related issues and concerns.

END/ Eloisa Mae M. Aquino