CONSTRUCTION WORKERS CLAIM OVER 300K SETTLEMENT THROUGH DOLE SENA IN BATANGAS

After a series of three conferences under the Single Entry Approach (SEnA) program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) IV-A Batangas Provincial Office, five construction workers finally received their monetary claims amounting to over Php 300,000.00 worth of final pay.

The request for assistance filed under the SEnA stemmed after the responding party failed to timely release the final payment of the workers following their separation from the company. 

Mr. Benjie Gomez Jr., former leadman mason of the company and an employee for eight years, narrated the reason they resorted to filing under the SEnA of the DOLE.

“Yung final pay po kasi namin ay inabot na po ng five months po kaya po kami ay nag reklamo na sa employer namin,” he stated.

After receiving the request for assistance, the assigned SEnA desk officer scheduled the conference with the requesting parties and the representatives of the construction company.

“Noong pagkatapos po ko po mag file, si DOLE Lipa po nag-email po sa amin para sa unang paghaharap po namin ni employer dito. Nakiusap sa amin yung employer namin na dalawang bigay yung final pay namin. Ang sabi po ng management namin gawa daw po medyo humina yung collection nila po kaya hindi agad kami nabayaran. Naunawaan rin namin yung sitwasyon ng employer namin kaya pumayag na rin kami na dalawang bigay po,” Benjie remarked.

SEnA Desk Officer, April Magpantay, facilitated the conference between the parties. (Photo by L. De Torres)

The workers agreed with the proposal of two tranches of payment, during which the first tranche amounted to total claims of Php 163,239.77, while the second tranche amounted to Php 165,077.94.

Workers received the first tranche of their payment. (Photo by L. De Torres)

“Nagpapasalamat kami ng marami kay DOLE. Napakabilis ‘yung response sa amin halos isang buwan lang nakuha na namin agad,” he concluded.

According to Mr. Gomez, he will allocate the said monetary claims for his purchase of a motorcycle and a laptop for his children.

Mr. Benjie Gomez Jr. received his monetary claims from the company. (Photo by Benjie Gomez Jr.)

His fellow requesting party also expressed his sincere appreciation of the intervention of the DOLE in settling disputes arising from the employer-employee relationship of both parties.

“Nagpapasalamat nga po pala kami dito kay DOLE ng Lipa kami po ay natulungan ng maayos,” Jiemniel Ogana, one of the workers who received his monetary claims.

Workers received the second tranche of their payment. (Photo by L. De Torres)

SEnA is an administrative mode of settling disputes arising from employer-employee relationship that involves labor and employment-related issues, like those of Mr. Gomez and Mr. Ogana, which are being settled through a conciliation-mediation procedure.