TACLOBAN CITY - At least P1.107 million worth of financial benefits was restituted to 511 workers in Eastern Visayas through amicable settlement last year, according to the Department of Labor and Employment regional office here.

DOLE Eastern Visayas regional director Forter Puguon said that under the small money claims program, 253 cases were disposed last year with a rate of 96.56 percent.

“Workers involved don’t have to file formal charges to claim their money from the management through this program. DOLE personnel were constituted as hearing officers,” Puguon said.

Claims which are less than P5, 000 can be settled under the small money claims program of the labor relations division of DOLE.

Unpaid claims of employees exceeding P5, 000 can be settled also by the DOLE regional office if both parties will come to an agreement to amicably settle the problem instead of brining the matter to the National Labor Relations Commission.

Record of the labor relations division showed that out of the 253 money claims cases in 2004, 17 were filed in January, 21 in February, 18 in March, 21 in April, 21 in May, 13 in June, 34 in July, 34 in August, 25 in September, 11 in October, 14 in November and 25 in December.

Puguon told Leyte Samar Daily Express that most of the cases reported to their office were non-payment off separation fee, minimum wage, 13 th month pay and other forms of benefits.

He said that they make it sure that the complaint must be settled within 30 days upon filing the case to the labor department.

Puguon said that this program of their office supports the promotion of industrial peace through education, expeditious and fair resolution of labor disputes, enhancement of labor management cooperation and promotion of tripartism in policy and decision making in order to preserve jobs and enhance the quality of employment in the country.

‘This program is geared at ensuring speedy and disposition of labor justice using voluntary and non-adversarial approaches to labor conflict resolution,” he explained.

The DOLE regional director vowed to intensify labor education in the region through the conduct of seminars attended by workers to ensure that they are aware of their labor rights.

Last year, at least 139 labor education were conducted by DOLE regional office here benefiting 5, 823 workers regionwide .

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