Metro Manila – Honoring the symbol of our national sovereignty and a reminder of the patriotic duty as public servants, the NCMB hosted the flag raising ceremony on 03 July 2023 at the DOLE building in Intramuros, Manila.  The ceremony also jump started the DOLE activities for the 2nd semester of 2023.

Participating in the traditional ceremony held every first Monday of the month are the different employees of the Department including its Bureaus, Services and Attached Agencies holding office in Manila.  Also present during the occasion are the DOLE’s senior officials led by then Officer-In-Charge of the Office of the Secretary, Undersecretary Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr.

In his message, Usec. Bitonio recognized the dedication and hard work of the Department’s retirees in public service. “They may not be a part of the Department anymore but they have left their legacies which can be of help to the next generation of public servants,” he said.

He also congratulated the National Wages and Productivity Board who was celebrating its 34th founding anniversary while highlighting the recently approved wage hike for workers in the National Capital Region.

Usec Bitonio also laid down the major activities to be conducted in July and the succeeding month. This includes the Mid-Year Performance Assessment (MYPA) of the different agencies/offices, the conduct of their respective Cluster MYPAs in July and the DOLE-wide MYPA in  August 2023.  Relative to this, Usec. Bitonio announced  the revised clustering of DOLE agencies and offices.

The birthday celebrants for the month of July were also presented during the program. Those present were given a small token as part of the celebration.

Before the singing of the DOLE Hymn, additional announcements were made for the other activities to be celebrated in July.  This includes the celebration of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development Week spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry from 10 to 14 of July 2023 and the observance of the National Disability and Prevention Rehabilitation Week held every third week of July.

End/ Nikka Garcia/ Ianne Go