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(Ashley Mah Paulo)
URL: https://www.addu.edu.ph/blog/2019/10/11/ateneo-de-davao-signs-new-cbas-with-4-labor-unions/
Title: Ateneo de Davao Signs New CBAs with 4 Labor Unions
Author: Michael Aaron Gomez
Date: October 11, 2019
Key Content: The Ateneo de Davao University signed four new Collective Bargaining Agreements with four different labor unions: Ateneo de Davao Employees Union – FFW, Ateneo de Davao Preschool and Grade School Academic Teaching and Academic Non-teaching Employees Union – FFW, Unyon ng mga Guro sa Ateneo – High School, and the College Faculty Union.

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By Michael Aaron Gomez

The Ateneo de Davao University central administration signed four new Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) with the presidents of the University's four different labor unions in the afternoon of 4 October 2019 at the Martin Hall.

The union presidents and representatives of the central administration signed the new agreements after a series of messages delivered by the union presidents. The new CBAs, according to Human Resource Management and Development Office (HRMDO) Director Atty. Niceforo V. Solis, Jr., ensures industrial peace for the next five years. The CBAs are effective 2019-2024.

Several rounds of negotiations on the provisions and clauses of the new CBA between the administration panel and union representatives resulted in the new agreements.

Signing the four new agreements were University President Fr. Joel E. Tabora, S. J.; Atty. Solis; Vice President for Finance and University Treasurer Mr. Jimmy Delgado; and the respective union presidents: Mr. German S. Perias, President of the Ateneo de Davao Employees Union - FFW; Ms. Arlene D. Golloso, President of the Ateneo de Davao Preschool and Grade School Academic Teaching and Academic Non-teaching Employees Union - FFW; Mr. Daniel B. Villanueva, President of the Unyon ng mga Guro sa Ateneo - High School (UGAT - HS); and Ms. Judith D. Dalagan, President of the College Faculty Union. Also attending the ceremony was Atty. Connie Beb A. Torralba, Mediator - Arbiter of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region XI.

In their messages, the union presidents expressed their gratitude to the administration panel for the swift and dynamic negotiations that produced the new CBAs.

"I can say that this time is unique. This is the first time that the four unions came together," Mr. Perias said in his message. "The results came together quickly, and it was very substantial. The proposals that were approved for the NTP [Non-teaching personnel] were very generous and were very much improved. We are thankful to the management." He also added, "Ever since Fr. Joel became University president, the union has not lodged a complaint against the management."

For her part, Ms. Golloso, president of the preschool and grade school union, said, "In unions there is strength. I believe that in community, there is greater strength, and that is one thing I have learned in this institution." She added, "May this signing of this [CBA] allow us to grow more in our relationship, in our strength as a community, allow us to grow in our collaboration, and may this strength be continuously used for God's greater glory and service."

"This [new CBA] is very distinct from the previous one," Mr. Villanueva, of UGAT - HS, said of the CBA his union signed. "[This is] because of the many graces bestowed upon us all during the course of our conversations." He added, "Truly I can say with joy, we are what we stand for."

To end the round of messages from the union presidents, Ms. Dalagan, of the College Faculty Union, addressed the audience present. "Thank you, Fr. Joel, for upholding the dignity of work," she said. "With this CBA, we hope and pray that we sustain our collaborative efforts in serving Ateneo with magis."

"I am very happy and very grateful that we have come to an agreement, or that we have come to four separate agreements with one another," Fr. Tabora said, in his closing address to the unions. "We have been able to work through this period of renewal of our CBAs with relative smoothness... I am truly very glad and grateful that in all of the CBA documents, all the unions commit themselves to promote the vision and mission of the school. All of the unions, all of the employees, commit themselves to promote what Ateneo de Davao stands for."

Fr. Tabora also added, "The mission and vision of this Ateneo de Davao University is absolutely meaningless without the employees of Ateneo de Davao University and without the community that we strive to form here at Ateneo de Davao."

The union presidents also thanked Fr. Tabora for his extensive and consistent support for the unions, promising to repay this support in the exercise of their duties as employees of the University.

The four unions represent all employees-faculty, staff, and non-teaching personnel-working in the University's four units. In signing the CBA, the University recognizes the necessity of a harmonious and productive relationship between the administration and the workers in fulfilling its mission and realizing its vision for its students, and Mindanao.

Photo credits: Institutional Communications and Promotions (ICOMMP) Office, Ateneo de Davao University

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Ateneo de Davao Signs New CBAs with 4 Labor Unions

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By Michael Aaron Gomez The Ateneo de Davao University central administration signed four new Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) with the presidents of the University's four different labor unions in the afternoon of 4 October 2019 at the Martin Hall.

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(Anne Therese Relova)
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLx9P6uiN9w
TITLE:  Sustainable livelihood towards a better, productive and peaceful Mindanao in the Philippines.
AUTHOR: International Labour Organization
DATE: September 21, 2017
KEY CONTENT: The documentary focuses on the program called PLEDGE (Programme for Local Economic Development through Enhanced Governance and Grassroots Empowerment) and how it contributes to skills-training and better livelihood for the people of Mindanao. Through PLEDGE, more job opportunities, better working conditions, and competent skills are equipped to the people of Mindanao, including those in Davao Oriental.

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Sustainable livelihood towards a better, productive and peaceful Mindanao in the Philippines

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(Julianna Remudaro)
URL: https://youtu.be/YvJSDt8BI4c

TITLE:  Mindanao: The Land of Promise?

AUTHOR: FAIRFOOD, JOHN RYAN MENDOZA
DATE: June 27, 2014
KEY CONTENT: The documentary focuses on the unethical treatment that is being imposed on contractual workers. The job often pays less than the minimum wage, health insurance is not provided, there is a high likelihood of being terminated within a few short months, and a significant number of benefits are not being provided to the contractual workers.

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320957661_Investigating_the_Drivers_of_Job_Satisfaction_in_an_Agricultural_Company_in_Autonomous_Region_in_Muslim_Mindanao_A_Structural_Equations_Modeling_Perspective
Title:

Investigating the Drivers of Job Satisfaction in an Agricultural Company in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao: A Structural Equations Modeling Perspective

Authors: Edjan Parreño, Francis Evan Lejano Manayan, Arthelo Paslangan Palma
Date: November 2017
Key Content: This paper employed structural equations modeling technique to examine the relationships among and between variables such as age, length of service, organizational climate, work motivation and job satisfaction among 142 workers of an agricultural company in Paglas, Estate, Barangay Digal, Buluan, ARMM, Philippines. The result showed that age and length of service of workers have a significant direct impact to work motivation and organizational climate has also a positive influence to work motivation. Work motivation directly impacts job satisfaction. While the results showed that age and organizational climate have no statistically significant direct impact to job satisfaction, both variables have a significant indirect impact to job satisfaction through the mediating role of work motivation.

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www.researchgate.net needs to review the security of your connection before proceeding.

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL: http://rsso11.psa.gov.ph/article/2018-2020-Labor-Force-Survey-Results-in-Davao-Region
Title:

2018-2020 Labor Force Survey Results in Davao Region

Date: March 2, 2022
Key Content: Region Davao Region's total population 15 years old and over for year 2020 was at 3.56 million. Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) during this period was at 57.5 percent, accounting for 2.05 million economically active Davaoeños (see Table 1). This is 2.8 and 2.3 percentage points lower compared to the LFPR of year 2018 and 2019, respectively

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Reference Number:

Over 2.05 million part of the total workforce population in Davao

Region Davao Region's total population 15 years old and over for year 2020 was at 3.56 million. Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) during this period was at 57.5 percent, accounting for 2.05 million economically active Davaoeños (see Table 1). This is 2.8 and 2.3 percentage points lower compared to the LFPR of year 2018 and 2019, respectively.

In year 2020, among the provinces and Highly Urbanized City in Davao Region, Davao Occidental reported the highest LFPR at 61.0 percent, followed by Davao City at 58.8 percent. On the other hand, Davao del Sur has the lowest rate at 53.6 percent. The provinces of Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao de Oro recorded 58.7 percent, 57.3 percent and 55.1 percent, respectively. (Figure 1)

Davao Occidental registers the highest employment rate in 2020

About 90.8% of the working-age population who were economically active or those who belong to the labor force in Davao Region are employed in 2020. This is 5.4 and 4.9 percentage points lower than of the previous years, 2018 and 2019. (Table 1)

Davao Occidental (96.4%) and Davao del Norte (95.2%) recorded the highest employment rate in Davao Region for year 2020. On the contrary, Davao City recorded the lowest employment rate with 85.6 percent in 2020. This is 10.0 percentage points lower compared to both 2018 and 2019. Moreover, Davao de Oro, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental had employment rates more than 90.0 percent in 2020. (Figure 2)

Unemployment rate of Davao Region is at 9.2%

Davao Region posted an unemployment rate of 9.2 percent in year 2020, which is equivalent to 189 thousand Davaoeños. This is significantly higher compared to 4.3 percent in 2018 and 3.8 percent in 2019. (Table 1)

Davao City has the highest unemployment rate in year 2020 at 14.4 percent, accounting 105 thousand individuals. This was followed by Davao Oriental at 9.3 percent. The provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao de Oro, Davao del Norte and Davao Occidental recorded unemployment rate less than 8 percent in the same year. (Figure 3)

Davao Region's Underemployment rate in the country is at 13%

Underemployed persons are employed persons who: expressed their desire to have additional hours of work in their present job or to have additional job, or to have a new job with longer hours of work. In year 2020, 13 percent of total employed Davaoeños reported to be underemployed. The underemployment rate for 2020 is higher by 1.9 percentage point than the underemployment rate posted in 2019 (11.1 percent). In 2018, underemployment rate was 15.4 percent. (Table 1)

Davao Occidental recorded the highest underemployment rate in year 2020 at 26.8 percent, followed by Davao de Oro (24.8%), Davao del Norte (15.8%), Davao del Sur (8.9%) and Davao Oriental (8.7%). On the other hand, Davao City has the lowest underemployment rate at 6.3 percent. (Figure 4)

* The Labor Force Survey (LFS) is a nationwide quarterly survey of households conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to gather data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population.

* The reference period used in the survey is the past seven (7) days preceding the date of visit of the enumerator. The number of sample households was about 43,000.

* The 2012 Philippine Standard Occupational Classification (PSOC) was adopted starting April 2016. The 1992 PSOC had been used prior to this round. Starting January 2019, the 2017 Philippine Standard Classification of Education (PSCED) was adopted. The categories for highest grade completed were also revised considering the K to 12 program in the education system.

* The population projections based on the 2015 Population Census (POPCEN 2015) has been adopted to generate the labor force statistics.

* In the April 2017 round of the LFS, Computer Aided Personal Interviewing (CAPI) using Tablet was utilized in the data collection. Starting April 2020, a hybrid approach was used in data collection, a mixed mode of CAPI face-to-face interview, whenever possible, or a telephone interview.

* Overseas Filipino Workers are not considered part of the labor force in the Philippines. Hence, in the LFS, data on economic characteristics of household members who are overseas workers are not collected. In the LFS report, they are excluded in the estimation of the size of working population, that is, population aged 15 years and older, and in the estimation of the labor force.

Regional Statistical Services Office XI

Philippine Statistics Authority

Tags:

Attachments:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
2018-2020 Labor Force Survey Results in Davao Region

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Reference Number: Over 2.05 million part of the total workforce population in Davao Region Davao Region's total population 15 years old and over for year 2020 was at 3.56 million. Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) during this period was at 57.5 percent, accounting for 2.05 million economically active Davaoeños (see Table 1).

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Exploring challenges and solutions in applying green HRM practices for the sustainable workplace in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bsd2.99
Title:

Exploring challenges and solutions in applying green human resource management practices for the sustainable workplace in the ready-made garment industry in Bangladesh

Author: Md Asadul Islam, Abigail Hunt, Amer Hamzah Jantan, Haslinda Hashim, Choo Wei Chong
Date: August 5, 2019
Key Content: The study aimed to explore challenges and solutions in applying green human resource management practices for the sustainable workplace. The field of enquiry is ready-made garments factories, with the study drawing on qualitative research. This study is amongst the first in academic research to reveal the challenges and solutions in applying green human resource management practices in organizations; therefore, the primary data could be useful for academicians and policymakers in Region XI for further research and subsequent decision-making.

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(Anne Therese Relova)
URL: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/32508
Title: Investing in Skills to Promote Inclusive Growth in Mindanao
Authors: Pablo Acosta, Takiko Igarashi, Ruth Rodriguez, Achim Schmillen, Arianna Zapanta
Date: September 2019
Key Content: The researchers came up with three recommendations to improve job growth within Mindanao: enhance agricultural productivity, boost human development, and address violence and fragility in conflict-affected areas. These recommendations may be essential in producing a competent and productive workplace environment in Region 11.

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Investing in Skills to Promote Inclusive Growth in Mindanao

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In 2015, the World Bank embarked on a collaborative effort to understand and address the jobs challenge in Mindanao through the Mindanao Jobs Report (MJR). Good jobs — jobs that raise real income and lift people out of poverty — were needed for more th…

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL: https://theshillonga.com/index.php/jhed/article/view/153
Title:

Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Local Government Employees in Matalam, Cotabato Philippines: A Basis for Intervention Program

Authors: Janette C. Camay
Date: December 30, 2020
Key Content: The intervention program also had recommendations to address problems on job satisfaction of the regular employees such as issues on their current salary on meeting their qualification, colleagues on giving them opportunities to contribute ideas from various perspectives, contentment on working under the supervision, continuous feedback of the supervisor to help them achieve the goals, and meeting career objectives through the current jobs. Lastly, the research determined a positive yet low relationship between the work motivation and job satisfaction of the regular employees. Nevertheless, the study concluded that the correlation that was found between the variables was insignificant and due to probability. Also, no dimension of work motivation was found to be statistically significantly associated with any of the dimensions of job burnout.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
International Journal of Humanities and Education Development (IJHED)

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The study was a descriptive-correlational research. It primarily aimed to determine the significant relationship between the work motivation and job satisfaction of regular employees of the municipal local government of Matalam, Cotabato, Philippines. The study found out that regular employees have moderate level of work motivation with a high level of need of affiliation and achievement while moderate level of need of power. Moreover, the study determined that the regular employees have a high level of job satisfaction at work with high level of satisfaction on co-workers' support and work conditions while moderate level of satisfaction on benefits and managerial support. Moreover, the study also proposed an intervention program that the Heads, Supervisors and Human Resource Management Development Office may use as a keystone in addressing problems on work motivation explored in the study such as issues on wanting to be liked by others, finding themselves talking to those around them about non-work matters, inability to solve the problems that arise in work and issues on being in charge. The intervention program also had recommendations to address problems on job satisfaction of the regular employees such as issues on their current salary on meeting their qualification, colleagues on giving them opportunities to contribute ideas from various perspectives, contentment on working under the supervision, continuous feedback of the supervisor to help them achieve the goals, and meeting career objectives through the current jobs. Lastly, the research determined a positive yet low relationship between the work motivation and job satisfaction of the regular employees. Nevertheless, the study concluded that the correlation that was found between the variables was insignificant and due to probability. Also, no dimension of work motivation was found to be statistically significantly associated with any of the dimensions of job burnout.

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International Journal of Humanities and Education Development (JHED) - theshillonga.jhed@gmail.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Work Motivation and Job Satisfaction of Local Government Employees in Matalam, Cotabato Philippines: A Basis for Intervention Program

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The study was a descriptive-correlational research. It primarily aimed to determine the significant relationship between the work motivation and job satisfaction of regular employees of the municipal local government of Matalam, Cotabato, Philippines. The study found out that regular employees have moderate level of work motivation with a high level of need of affiliation and achievement while moderate level of need of power.

# data[].attributes.body
(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL: https://nro11.neda.gov.ph/reports/
Title: Reports

Author: N.A.
Date: August 29, 2022
Key Content: The CY 2015 Annual Regional Economic Situationer (ARES) provides a quick snapshot of the performance of Davao Region’s economy in 2015 by highlighting key socioeconomic indicators and assessing their performance vis-à-vis 2014. The ARES also provides a brief development outlook of the Region for 2016. In this report, there is a section for Labor and Employment which states the statistics of employment and underemployment rates.

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CY 2015 Annual Regional Economic Situationer

The CY 2015 Annual Regional Economic Situationer (ARES) provides a quick snapshot of the performance of Davao Region's economy in 2015 by highlighting key socioeconomic indicators and assessing their performance vis-à-vis 2014. The ARES also provides a brief development outlook of the Region for 2016.
Macroeconomic Performance Prices and Inflation
Prices of basic commodities in Davao Region posted an average of 2.6 percent in 2015, 1 percentage point lower than the level recorded in 2014. The deceleration of inflation could be attributed to downward adjustments in petroleum products.

The prices of electricity, gas and fuels declined by 2 percent compared to the 2014 levels. The drop in the prices of this commodity group was more evident in the frequent downward adjustments in the prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene which decreased by totals of PhP16.60 per liter, PhP15.20 per liter, and PhP17.05 per liter, respectively. These price rollbacks were relatively larger than the total price increases for the year of PhP16.30 per liter for gasoline, PhP13 per liter for diesel, and PhP12.04 per liter for kerosene; resulting to net rollbacks of PhP0.30 per liter, PhP2.20 per liter, and PhP4.65 per liter, respectively. Moreover, the total price rollback for LPG of PhP15.90 per kilogram exceeded the total price increase of PhP5.50 per kilogram for the year, which resulted to net rollback of PhP10.40 per kilogram.

However, even with substantial decreases in the prices of fuels, the prices of other major commodities increased. The price index of food items increased by 3.5 percent compared to its year-ago rates. Prices of major food commodities such as rice, corn, bread and cereals, meat, fish, and vegetables increased by 2.9 percent, 6.6 percent, 3.6 percent, 2.8 percent, 3 percent, and 3.9 percent, respectively.

Price hikes in food items registered higher in the second quarter of the year due to lower supply of these commodities in the market as the Region experienced drought in the months of April and May in 2015.

Aside from food, the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco and clothing and footwear; as well as the costs of health, transport, communication and education also increased by 5.4 percent, 3.5 percent, 2.6 percent, 1.6 percent, 0.3 percent, and 4 percent, respectively.

Overall, the performance of the all-item regional inflation rate for the year fell within the range of 3 percent, plus or minus 1 percentage point, set for CY 2015 by the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) of the NEDA Board.
Labor and Employment
The Region's employment statistics for 2015 were relatively unchanged compared to the rates in 2014. The average employment rate for 2015 of 94.2 percent remained constant compared to its rate a year ago. While the unemployment rate slightly increased by 0.09 percentage point, from an average of 5.78 percent in 2014 to 5.87 percent in 2015.

The slight increase in the unemployment rate was attributed to the influx of new graduates looking for employment. This is evidenced by the slight increase of the labor force for the year, from an average of 2,862,500 in 2014 to 2,906,250 in 2015, a difference of 43,750 or 1.5 percent. In addition, Davao Region's constant employment rate could still be considered positive as it indicates that Davao Region's economy was able to provide a steady number of jobs despite the increased number of workers in the labor market.

Breaking down employment by major industry group, the services sector had the highest share among the Region's total employed persons with 53 percent, followed by agriculture with 34 percent, and industry with 13 percent. In services, most of the employed engaged in wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, and transportation.

In the case of the Region's underemployment, it was noted that the average underemployment rate for 2015 of 18.98 percent was 0.30 percentage point lower than 2014's 19.28 percent. The slight dip in underemployment indicates that there were more number of part-time workers that were able to secure more regular jobs, with working hours of at least 40 hours a week. This improvement could be attributed to intensified programs such as skills development vocational courses and aligning academe curricula to the needs of the Region's industries.
Investments
Investments in the Region, both in project commitments and value of private building construction, registered a substantial decline in 2015.

BOI project commitments declined by 61.2 percent, from PhP12.5 billion in 2014 to PhP4.9 billion in 2015. The decline in project commitments could be attributed to reduced energy and logistics-related projects which contributed a substantial share in 2014. Most of the project commitments for 2015 were registered in the fourth quarter of the year, which constituted about 65 percent of the total project commitments. Some of the biggest project commitments were the PhP2.56 billion solar power project of the Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources, Inc. in Digos City; the PhP169.3 million wood pellets production project of Starbridge Global Corporation in Tagum City; and the PhP167.1 million palm oil development and production project of Palm Asia Milling Corporation in Matanao, Davao del Sur.

Similarly, the total value of private building construction of PhP11.1 billion was 8.9 percent lower than 2014's PhP12.2 billion. Breaking down its components, construction for residential purposes declined by 17.9 percent, from PhP4.3 billion in 2014 to PhP3.6 billion in 2015; while repairs dropped to PhP997.4 million, 26.5 percent less than 2014's PhP1.4 billion. On the other hand, construction for commercial purposes slightly increased by 0.8 percent, from PhP6.49 billion in 2014 to PhP6.54 billion in 2015. The decline in residential construction projects could be attributed to lesser projects during the year as big housing projects in previous years were in the final stages of completion. While the slight increase in commercial construction could be attributed to establishment of big shopping malls in major cities of the Region.

Accounting the share, construction for commercial purposes remains the biggest among private building projects in the Region which constituted 58.9 percent of the entire construction projects, followed by construction for residential purposes with 32.1 percent, and repairs with 9 percent.

Some of the notable real estate projects during the year were the hotel and accommodation facility project of Gohotels Davao, Inc. in Lanang, Davao City; the office complex construction of Davao City Water District in Matina, Davao City; and the commercial building construction of the Sta. Lucia Land, Inc. in Maa, Davao City. Other notable projects were the mass housing projects of Johndorf Ventures Corporation in Brgy. Sasa; Davao Joyful Homes Realty Corporation in Brgy. Cabantian Road, Buhangin District; and Deca Homes in Tugbok, all in Davao City.

In other cities of the Region, major projects were the construction of berthing facility and container depot by TADECO, Inc. in Panabo Port, Panabo City; construction of Robinsons Mall by Robinsons Land Corporation in Tagum City; 4-storey classroom project of Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Mati City; and the construction of Gaisano Mall by Tagum Commercial and Realty Corporation in Digos City.
Exports and Imports
The Region's performance in foreign trade declined in terms of value of transactions in 2015 compared with the value recorded in 2014.

Davao Region's exports contracted sharply by 43.9 percent, with export value declining from US$2.2 billion in 2014 to US$1.2 billion in 2015. Desiccated coconut recorded the biggest drop of 66.9 percent, from US$111.6 million in 2014 to US$37 million in 2015. Slightly behind desiccated coconut was banana, which declined 62.8 percent, reaching only an export value of US$392 million in 2015 compared to 2014's US$1.05 billion. Other commodities with significant declines were pineapples and copra or coconut crude oil with declines of 38.8 percent and 24.5 percent, respectively. Pineapple's export value declined from US$100.4 million in 2014 to US$61.5 million in 2015; while copra declined from US$331.2 million in 2014 to US$245 million in 2015.

For coconut-based products, one of the reasons for the decline was the cutting of old trees in Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur. In addition, there were also recorded cases of coconut-scale insects or cocolisap infestation which affected the production this year. In the case of copra or coconut oil, the drop in demand in the world market was attributed to the widening price gap between copra and palm kernel oil. The average international market price of copra of US$1,144 per metric ton was significantly higher than palm kernel oil's average price of US$840 per metric ton.

For banana, the slide in exports was due to the declining consumer demand from its major destinations including Japan, South Korea, China and Europe. For Japan, the low level of banana exports continued to be partly attributed to the stiff import tariffs for Philippine bananas, which ranged from 8.5 percent to as high as 18 percent. The high cost of Philippine bananas compelled Japanese importers to strike deals with competing suppliers from Latin America and Southeast Asia where import tariffs were lower. Moreover, the weak performance of banana exports may also be the result of the economic slowdown that Japan experienced in 2015. For China, economic adjustments such as currency devaluation affected the performance of Philippine bananas. The continued devaluation of the yuan resulted to reduced purchases, as Chinese importers had to pay more dollars for the bananas that they bought. In addition, the territorial dispute over the West Philippine Sea was also considered by some banana players to have contributed in the decline of banana exports. In the case of Europe, the unsteady demand could be attributed to the recovery of the area from the debt crisis in Greece.

Locally, the lower exports performance of the Region was also due to the lingering effects of El Niño, which severely affected the production capacity and quality of produce in agri-based production areas. The El Niño phenomenon started in September 2015 and is expected to last until May 2016.

The Region's top ten exports for 2015 were (1) banana; (2) copra or coconut crude oil; (3) activated carbon; (4) refined (cochin) or fraction of unrefined oil and refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) oil; (5) fresh pineapple; (6) prepared or preserved lychee, longans, jackfruit, mangoes, etc; (7) natural rubber used in air dried sheets and remilled crepes; (8) desiccated coconut; (9) wood charcoal (including shell or nut charcoal); and (10) prepared or preserved pineapples. The Region's top export markets were Japan, the Netherlands, USA China and Korea.

On the other hand, the Region's imports rose by 47.1 percent. Its value during the year reached US$1.7 billion, compared to US$1.2 billion in 2014. The rise was driven by imports of raw materials or intermediate goods, capital goods, consumer goods, and mineral fuels and lubricants. The Region's top five imports were (1) medium oils such as lamp kerosene, aviation turbine fuel and lubricating oils; (2) light oils such as motor spirit, premium leaded, unleaded and regular; (3) Boxes, cases, and crates; (4) urea; and (5) semi-chemical fluting paper.

The major sources of Davao Region's imports were China, Taiwan, Japan, USA, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The value of imports from China, the Region's biggest source of imports, amounted to US$427.6 million, which was 97.1 percent higher than 2014's US$217 million.
Davao Region's Economic Growth Drivers Tourism
Tourist arrivals in Davao Region during the year have considerably surpassed those recorded in 2014. The domestic tourist arrivals reached 2,649,625 and surpassed 2014's 2,380,104 by 11.3 percent. More notably, overseas Filipino tourist arrivals grew by 107 percent, from 7,102 in 2014 to 14,699 in 2015; while foreign tourist arrivals increased by 26.5 percent or 36,486 more foreign tourists than 2014's 137,679. Overall, the total volume of tourists reached 2,838,489 with a total tourist receipts value of Php 34.2 billion, surpassing 2014's tourist receipts by almost Php 9 billion or 32.7 percent.

Breaking down the volume of tourist arrivals per province, Compostela Valley achieved the highest growth for the year with 84.4 percent, from 112,079 tourists in 2014 to 206,648 tourists in 2015. Following Compostela Valley was Davao del Norte with a growth of 19 percent, from 581,903 tourists in 2014 to 692,145 tourists in 2015. Davao City also grew by 13.1 percent, reaching 1,730,009 tourists in 2015 compared to 2014's 1,529,907 tourists. Meanwhile, Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental declined by 57.9 percent and 28 percent, respectively, compared to their volume of tourist arrivals a year ago. Davao del Sur declined to 9,834 tourists, from 23,364 tourists in 2014; while Davao Oriental declined to 199,853 tourists, from 277,542 tourists in 2014.

As to the share of provinces to the total value of tourist receipts, Davao City contributed a PhP26.2 billion tourist receipt value or 76.9 percent; followed by Davao del Norte with PhP6.3 billion or 18.4 percent contribution; next by Davao Oriental with PhP899.3 million or 2.6 percent contribution; then by Compostela Valley with PhP619.9 million or 1.8 percent contribution; and Davao del Sur with PhP88.5 million or 0.3 percent contribution.

The remarkable performance of the tourism sector was credited to the extensive tourism promotions such as the conduct of festivals and events regionwide. The major festivals during the year were the Kadawayan Festival and Pasko Fiesta in Davao City; Durian Festival and Musikahan Festival in Tagum City; Kariyawan Festival in Monkayo, Compostela Valley and Dinawag Festival in Montevista, Compostela Valley; Sambuokan and Pujada Bay Festivals in Mati City; Binulig Festival in Panabo City; and Padigosan Festival in Digos City. Several conventions were also hosted by the Region which included the Livex 2nd National Congress, the 2nd Le Maste Congress, the Prosecutors League National Convention, the PREX Convention, the Knights of Columbus 10th National Convention, the 2015 Palarong Pambansa, the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers National Convention, the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers Convention, the Philippine Councilors League Convention, Laag ta Uy Tour in Compostela Valley, Amihan sa Dahican in Davao Oriental and the Davao International Expo 2015.
Agriculture Crops
For major crops and fruits, increased production was recorded for banana, durian, mango, rubber, abaca and cacao. Declines, however, were noted for palay, corn, pineapple, coconut, coffee and sugarcane.

Output growth for cacao recorded the highest for the year with 12.7 percent, from 4,366 metric tons in 2014 to 4,920 metric tons in 2015. The increase in production was due to additional bearing trees and increased area harvested in Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao City.

Next to cacao was durian which grew by 7.9 percent or 4,930 metric tons more than Q3 2014's 62,769 metric tons. The output growth in durian could be attributed to the increased number of bearing trees in Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur.

Other crops with output growth during the year were banana, mango, rubber and abaca which grew by 2.6 percent, 1.2 percent, 5.1 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. For banana, the increased production was attributed to increased harvest area and bearing hills in all the Region's provinces. Similarly, for rubber and abaca, growth in output was attributed to the increased harvest area and tapped trees in Compostela Valley, Davao City, Davao del Norte, and Davao Oriental. In the case of mango, the hot weather in the first quarter of 2015 favored the production in Davao City. The harvest area in Davao del Norte had also expanded during the year.

On the other hand, major crops such as corn and palay recorded substantial declines during the year. Corn output declined to 224,100 metric tons, 20.1 percent lower than 2014's output of 280,293 metric tons; while palay declined by 2.30 percent, from 452,267 metric tons in 2014 to 441,868 metric tons in 2015. For corn, the reduced yield was due to hot weather and insufficient rainfall especially in the latter months of the year when the El Niño phenomenon started to intensify. Similarly, output decline in palay was attributed to hot weather which affected the rainfed areas in Davao City. Delayed cropping in Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley and Davao del Sur; as well as the damaged irrigation systems in Davao del Norte and delayed release of water from NIA in Compostela Valley, were among the reasons for the decreased production in 2015.

However, the crop with the biggest output decline in 2015 was sugarcane with its output reaching only 208,743 metric tons, 37.8 percent lower than its output in 2014 of 335,684 metric tons. The main reason for the decline was the low harvesting in the latter months of 2015, as bulk harvesting of sugarcane in Davao del Sur was moved in January of 2016.

Other crops that experienced declines in output were pineapple, coconut, and coffee which dropped by 4.3 percent, 1.8 percent, and 1 percent, respectively. For pineapple, the output decline was due to decreased harvest area in Davao City. While for coconut, the decrease was attributed to the cutting of old trees in Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte. And for coffee, the slight dip was due to crop shifting to cavendish in Compestela Valley and lacatan, latundan and cacao in Davao City.
Logistics Air Transport
The air transport sector showed positive growth in 2015 over its performance the previous year. Passenger traffic, both inbound and outbound, at the Francisco Bangoy International Airport (FBIA) increased by 9.47 percent, from 2,928,267 passengers in 2014 to 3,205,705 passengers in 2015. Similarly, there were more flights during the year with 22,112 or 13 percent more than the previous year's. The substantial increases in the number of flights and passenger traffic were attributed to the continued growth of the Region's tourism sector with more tourists visiting throughout the year.

However, inbound and outbound cargo, both for foreign and domestic destinations, showed that 22,112 metric tons passed through the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in 2015, which was 1.3 percent lower compared with the total cargo volume in 2014. The slight decline in air cargo traffic was consistent with the lower performance of Davao Region's exports during the year.
Road Paving
For road paving, DPWH XI accomplished 92.3 percent of the 836.215-kilometer target of national arterial roads paved by 2016. This accomplishment was 2.3 percentage points higher than 2014's accomplishment of 90.1 percent. The total length accomplished for the year reached 772.045 kilometers.

Similarly, accomplishment on the paving of national secondary roads also grew by 12.2 percentage points; reaching 83.7 percent accomplishment of its target of 819.038 kilometers by 2016, compared to only 71.5 percent in 2014.

The substantial progress in road paving projects was due to the prioritization to complete all roadwork projects before the end of 2016.
Power
Power supply in Davao Region, and in Mindanao as a whole, was relatively erratic in 2015, especially in the second quarter of the year. This scenario was almost similar to 2014 where power shortages heavily occurred in the latter part of the first quarter and in the second quarter of that year.

Mindanao Grid's average power reserve for 2015 was 48 megawatts, with the average available capacity of 1,416 megawatts surpassing the demand of 1,368 megawatts. This power reserve was slightly higher than 2014's average power reserve of 31 megawatts, which was the difference between 2014's average available capacity of 1,312 megawatts and its demand of 1,281 megawatts.

One of the reasons for the inadequate power supply in the second quarter was the the low water levels at the main hydroelectric plants in Mindanao such as the Agus 1 and Agus 6 Plants located in Marawi City and Iligan City, respectively.

In Davao Region, numerous power outages occurred not only in the second quarter but also in the latter part of the third quarter to the fourth quarter of the year. These frequent brownouts were compounded by the low power supply in the Region as additional power sources such as the 150-MW of Therma South Inc. (TSI) coal-fired power plant Unit 1 commenced operation only in September 2015 while the 150-MW TSI Unit 2 underwent reliability tests for the remainder of the year.

Meanwhile, another energy project that was in the final stages of completion in 2015 was the San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation Coal-Fired Power Plant Project, which was expected to provide an additional 300 MW of power.
Social Investment and Protection
A total of 231,756 households had been covered under the banner Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in the Region in 2015. This was 2.9 percent higher than the 225,176 households that benefited from the poverty reduction program in 2014. Most of the households were found in Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte.

The higher accomplishment was due to the expansion of the program which now covers 0-18 years-old children, thus, there were beneficiaries whose inclusion in the program were extended. Previously, family beneficiaries whose children reached the age of 15 were graduated from the program; however, a change in the policy reincluded those families in the High School Extension Program of the 4Ps.

Breaking down the growth per province, Davao del Norte recorded the highest growth of households covered at 7.5 percent, followed by Compostela Valley at 7.1 percent, Davao Oriental at 3.6 percent, and Davao City at 1.1 percent. On the other hand, Davao del Sur's beneficiaries declined by 3.4 percent.

However, majority of the beneficiaries were still located in Davao del Sur which constituted 27 percent of the total beneficiaries, followed by Compostela Valley with a share of 24 percent, Davao del Norte with 21 percent, Davao Oriental with 18 percent, and Davao City with 9 percent of the beneficiaries.
Security Management
The Region's crime solution efficiency rate rose significantly from 49.12 percent in 2014 to 64.73 percent in 2015, up by 15.61 percentage points. Decreases were also recorded for total crime volume, with both index and non-index crimes reduced to 50,510 in 2015, which was 22.4 percent lower than what was recorded in 2014. In terms of crime solution efficiency by province, Davao City achieved the highest rate at 78.88 percent, followed by Davao del Norte with 73.93 percent, Compostela Valley with 51.39 percent, Davao del Sur with 42.91 percent and Davao Oriental with 37.73 percent efficiency rate.

The improvement in crime solution efficiency, as well as the relative decrease in crime volume, were attributed to intensified law enforcement operations through increased visibility of mobile patrols in crime-prone and highly-crowded areas. Moreover, anti-crime campaigns such as the Oplan Lambat-Sibat, implemented in the later part of 2015, helped in the prevention of crime. The Oplan Lambat-Sibat is a reinvigorated crime prevention effort using "deliberate, programmatic and sustained" police operations such as the establishment of checkpoints, strengthened campaign against loose firearms and the full implementation of mobile and foot patrols that aim to improve crime prevention and enhance crime solution efficiency.
Development Outlook Opportunities
In investments, Davao City ranked high and was considered one of the biggest movers in the Asia Pacific Region in the Tholon's Top 100 Outsourcing Destinations for 2016. Davao City moved three places, from rank 69 in 2015 to rank 66 in 2016. Tholon's considered Davao City as one of the Philippines' Next Wave Cities and has risen to become one of the more viable alternative destinations beyond Manila/NCR and Cebu City. Many service providers show increasing interest in the City due to its strategic geographical location and higher feasibility of physical expansion due to its less congested area.

In addition, Davao City was also awarded by the Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO) and the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) as the Center of Excellence for Information and Technology- Business Processing Management (IT-BPM) due to its sustained growth throughout the years. The award recognized the City's position as one of the top IT-BPM hubs in the country and considered at par with other IT juggernauts like Cebu City, Metro Clark, Metro Bacolod, and Iloilo City.

Aside from IT and BPO, several companies also plan to expand and invest in the manufacturing, services and real estate sectors of the Region this year. This includes the Php 2.7 billion feed mill plant project of the San Miguel Corporation in Darong, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur; and the PhP 11 billion bulk water project of the Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. in Davao City. A Luzon-based steel manufacturing company is also set to invest around PhP 1 billion for a construction of a steel plant in Davao City. For real estate, the Euro Towers International, Inc. is planning to invest about P1.5 billion for the development of a residential component and renovation of the Apo View Hotel in Davao City. Similarly, Damosa Land, Inc. (DLI) is also set to develop an 88-hectare mixed-use property project in Panabo City. The first phase, which is a residential component, shall have an initial project cost of around PhP 1 billion. The project also plans to host the Mindanao campus of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños.

In tourism, 13 hotels and restaurants from Davao City shall be awarded with Halal certification by the Halal International Chamber of Commerce and Industries of the Philippines, Inc. Among these establishments include the Marco Polo Davao, Seda Hotel, Grand Regal Hotel, and Park Inn by Radisson-Davao. The certification of these establishments is in line with the Department of Tourism's Philippine Halal Tourism Project. The project aims to make halal services available to tourist destinations and to increase the number of halal-certified kitchens in the country. Moreover, the project also targets to put the country on the Muslim travel index of Crescent Rating, which is the world's leading authority on halal-friendly travel.

In addition, the Davao City Council passed a Halal Ordinance, which requires the segregation of halal food from non-halal food in the market. The purpose of the ordinance is to protect and respect the sacred concept of halal and to ensure the spiritual purity and cleanliness of the goods bought by the Muslim constituents. The passage of the said legislation is also expected to boost the city's bid to become the prime destination of foreign tourists from Islamic countries.

Lastly, economic growth in the Region is expected to be sustained as strong private consumption and election spending during the year is expected to boost growth. In addition, the 8-point economic agenda of the incoming administration, which puts emphasis on the acceleration of infrastructure, foreign investment, agricultural development, job generation, and tax reforms, is expected to stimulate economic development.
Challenges
For the Region's economy, the Business Expectations Survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas- Davao shows that overall business sentiment of the Region for the second quarter of 2016 was less upbeat, with confidence index of the 87 firms surveyed declining to 37.5 percent, down by 4.4 percentage points compared to the previous survey's result. Some of the reasons for the less optimistic outlook include (1) concerns over the significant decrease in export market prices, (2) impact of El Niño on agriculture, and (3) completion of construction projects in the first half of the year.

However, business firms' outlook on the volume of business activity and employment prospects were relatively positive in the second quarter. The percentage of the 87 firms surveyed with expansion plans increased to 32.4 percent, 13.9 percentage points higher than the result in the previous survey. These developments suggest that regional economic growth could accelerate in the succeeding quarters of the year.

In agriculture, the Region shall prioritize recovery efforts to address the effects of the El Niño phenomenon, especially in the provinces, cities, and municipalities that were significantly affected by the intense drought. During the height of the El Niño, the provinces of Davao del Sur and Davao del Norte; the cities of Digos and Mati; the municipalities of Hagonoy, Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Magsaysay, Bansalan, Kiblawan, Malalag and Sta. Maria in Davao del Sur; the municipality of Kapalong in Davao del Norte; and the municipalities of Tarragona, San Isidro, Lupon and Banaybanay in Davao Oriental had declared state of calamity.

Specifically, damage to palay production was estimated to have already reached PhP232 million; while estimated losses for corn have amounted to more than PhP154 million. Recorded losses for the two commodities per province were PhP129.5 million for Davao del Norte, PhP110.9 million for Davao del Sur, PhP91.8 million for Davao City, PhP 28.5 million for Compostela Valley, and PhP25.6 million for Davao Oriental.

To address these concerns, the Department of Agriculture XI intensified their programs which include effective water management, provision of open-source pumps, small farm reservoirs and spring development, distribution of plastic water drums, and distribution of drought-tolerant and early maturing corn and rice varieties.

Another challenge is the inadequate power supply due to the onslaught of El Niño and the growing demand of commercial and residential consumers. The operations of Agus and Pulangi Hydropower Complexes (APHC), which supply nearly half of Mindanao's power requirement are still below operating capacity and are expected to recover only in the second half of 2016.

To ease the low supply of power especially in Davao Region, the full operation of several energy projects have been hastened. These include the San Miguel Consolidated Power Corporation Coal-Fired Power Plant Units 1 and 2 in Malita, Davao del Sur; and the Solar Power Project of Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources, Inc. in Digos City, Davao del Sur. These projects have a combined rated capacity of about 330 MW and are expected to fully operate before the end of the first semester of 2016.

Other projects in Mindanao targeted to fully operate in 2016 include the Southern Mindanao Coal Fired Power Station Unit 1 in Maasim, Sarangani, the FDC-Misamis CFB Coal-Fired Power Plant Project in Misamis Oriental, and GNPower Kauswagan Clean Coal-Fired Power Plant in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte. Overall, a total of 19 energy projects were committed in 2016, which are expected to generate an additional 1,853.60 MW of power.

2 012 Davao Region Socioeconomic Performance and 2013 Development Outlook CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

2011 Davao Region Socioeconomic Performance and 2012 Development Outlook CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

QUICK STATS CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

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CY 2015 Annual Regional Economic Situationer The CY 2015 Annual Regional Economic Situationer (ARES) provides a quick snapshot of the performance of Davao Region's economy in 2015 by highlighting key socioeconomic indicators and assessing their performance vis-à-vis 2014. The ARES also provides a brief development outlook of the Region for 2016.

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL: https://nwpc.dole.gov.ph/regionandwages/region-xi-davao-region/
Title: REGION XI (Davao Region) | National Wages Productivity Commission
Author: N.A.
Date: June 03, 2022
Key Content: This website shows the increase of daily minimum wage rates per sector/industry and also the domestic workers in Davao Region.

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DAILY MINIMUM WAGE RATES

CURRENT DAILY MINIMUM WAGE RATES
REGION XI (Davao Region) a/
Per Wage Order No. XI-21 b/
(Effective: 19 June 2022)

a/ Covers the Cities of Davao, Digos, Island Garden of Samal, Tagum, Panabo, Mati, and the Provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley.

b/ Grants the following upon effectivity of all tranches*:

?47 per day basic wage increase for workers in Non-Agriculture: Industrial/Commercial and Retail/Service employing more than ten (10) workers;

?62 per day basic wage increase for workers in Non-Agriculture: Retail/Service employing not more than ten (10) workers; and

?47 per day basic wage increase for workers in Agriculture

*Effectivity date of Tranches:

1. First Tranche - Upon effectivity of Wage Order No. RB XI-20;

2. Second Tranche - 01 January 2023; and

3. Third Tranche - 01 April 2023.

Issued on 31 May 2022; published on 03 June 2022 at Sunstar Davao.

Updated on: 21 June 2022

MINIMUM WAGE RATES FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS

CURRENT DAILY MINIMUM WAGE RATES
REGION XI (Davao Region) a/
Per Wage Order No. XI-DW-02 b/
(Effective: 20 June 2022)

a/ Covers the Cities of Davao, Digos, Island Garden of Samal, Tagum, Panabo, Mati, and the Provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley.

b/ Issued on 18 May 2022; published on 04 June 2022 at Sunstar Davao

Updated on: 13 June 2022

DOWNLOADS ( REGION XI (Davao Region) )

Wage Order No. RB XI-21

Wage Order No. RB XI-DW-02

Wage Advisory No. RB XI-01

Annex (Technical Notes)

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REGION XI (Davao Region) | National Wages Productivity Commission

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CURRENT DAILY MINIMUM WAGE RATES REGION XI (Davao Region) a/ Per Wage Order No. XI-21 b/ (Effective: 19 June 2022) a/ Covers the Cities of Davao, Digos, Island Garden of Samal, Tagum, Panabo, Mati, and the Provinces of Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Compostela Valley.

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(Ashley Mah Paulo)
URL: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1176724
Title: DOLE warns Davao employers vs. wage hike violations

Author: Christine Cudis
Date: June 15, 2022
Key Content: The Department of Labor and Employment sends a warning to the employers of Region 11 that failing to follow the new wage orders will result in a fine of up to PHP100,000 or a minimum 2 years of imprisonment.

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URL:
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1176147
Title: BPO openings dominate job vacancies in Region 11
Author: Christine Cudis
Date: June 8, 2022
Key Content: the agency will again organize a job fair at the NCCC Mall in Buhangin, Davao City from June 10 to 11.

Over 1,300 jobs in the BPO Sector are expected to open while local employers will also offer 350 Sales Representative/Associate positions.

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)
URL:
https://www.rappler.com/nation/180528-youth-mindanao-unemployment-discrimination/
Title: Discrimination a hurdle for job-seeking Mindanao youth
Authors: Patty Pasion
Date: August 30, 2017
Key Content: The article stated the inequalities and discrimination against Muslims when job hiring due to the war in Marawi City which contributes to the issues in workplace environment.

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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

MANILA, Philippines - Usman Mohammad, 23, just graduated from Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City this year. His aim of starting his professional life was interrupted by war as the government neutralizes terrorist groups linked to the extremist Islamic State.

Like him, other youth displaced from Marawi City would like to find a job to support their families, espcially that their properties have either been looted or bombed. But being a Muslim jobseeker is difficult because of the stereotypes in the workplace, he said.

"Based from what I observed from my friends who are also graduates of MSU, when they apply for companies in Manila, when they are identified as Muslim, there's already discrimination, thinking they are terrorists," he said in Filipino.

Since there's little large-scale economic activity in their area, their only choice is to go to Manila where majority of career opportunities are available. But because of the discrimination they are facing, they can't help but think of just going abroad for work. ( WATCH IN 360º: The Marawi humanitarian crisis)

All he could ask for now is make opportunities equal for Muslims.

"Magkaroon lang ng opportunity na kumbaga ay i-welcome ang youth na galing sa Marawi na nadisplace, mabigyan ng opportunity," he said.

(Hopefully, there could be opportunities to welcome the youth from Marawi City who were displaced, be given an opportunity.)

Another problem people from the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) experience when it comes to employment is the lack of information and government support in those areas.

Abdul-Ajidz Abdurahman, 24, from Tipo-Tipo in Basilan, said jobseekers in their area do not know when and where there are job vacancies.

"Hindi nila alam saan sila pupunta, sino ang lalapitan, ano iyong mga opportunity kasi 'di kami accessible sa internet connection, sa mga publication," he said.

(They don't know where they would go, who to go to, what are the opportunities because we don't have access to the internet, to publications.)

"Walang mga job fair. Ang mga job fair lang kasi diyan ay sa mga cities pero walang nangyayari doon sa mga municipalities," he added.

(There are no job fairs because job fairs are only conducted in cities but none for municipalities.)

For Francisco Lara Jr, country manager of conflict monitoring group International Alert, limiting workplace discrimination for Muslims is a way of promoting peace in the region. (READ: EndDiscriminationNow: On being Muslim and discriminated)

Lara said "unfairness" is the root of the rebellion in Mindanao

"Injustice is a very big issue but oftentimes, its unfairness. Injustice is like you are not able to get an education after the madrassah and you don't go up - that's injustice. But when you have an education,when you've done everything that is needed but still can't find a job, that is unfairness," he said.

"Oftentimes, that triggers extremism, not poverty," he added, stressing that the crisis in Marawi City should be solved through creating social and business spaces in the region more than relying on the military.

Working in this framework, International Alert launched on Tuesday, August 29, guidelines for companies to include equality and diversity in their hiring and management policies.

The Red Flag project, done in partnership with the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC), provides a set of practical guidelines against the discrimination of employees on the basis of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.

Some 40 firms from the banking, finance, service and extractive industries have joined the commitment to uphold the guidelines set by the project.

Nikki dela Rosa, deputy country manager of International Alert, said they will look into giving incentives to companies that will adhere to the standards.

"We are going to develop a tool kit, along with some professors of the Asian Institute of Management, in creating accessible tools for employers in terms of operationalizing the principles," she said.

But beyond this intervention, the groups urge the government to promote investments in Mindanao, which will ultimately solve the unemployment problem in the region.

"This is just a segment of most of the problems we have on the ground. A lot of the graduates coming in Muslim areas have difficulty [finding] jobs there. They experience discrimination from companies operating outside the ARMM. We believe this is [just a] stop gap," she said.

"The best way is to pressure government [to come out with the ] proper package to encourage investors there," she added. - Rappler.com

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Discrimination a hurdle for job-seeking Mindanao youth

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A conflict monitoring group launches a set of guidelines that seeks to end discrimination on the basis of ethnic and religious belief

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(Jazzell Dacup)
URL:
https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/07/05/business/top-business/i-quit/1849818
Title: I Quit
Author: Cholo Javier
Date: July 5, 2022
Key Content: This is what I gathered. Sprout Solutions PH's white paper provided data on the domestic attrition rate from 2020-2021. Data from over 1,000 clients revealed an upward trend, which meant an increasing number of Filipinos had resigned from their companies. At the national level, the labor turnover survey from the Philippine Statistics Authority also showed an upward trend from 2018-2021. For 2020-2021, the agency cited "personal issues" as the top reason employees voluntarily resign. They did not further elaborate on what it meant.

Are burnout and personal issues the same? I cannot prove this now since my research did not require empirical results, but I still firmly believe there is truth to my theory. I, for one, am part of the statistics because I resigned during the pandemic. I used to work for an organization where work was stressful. The stress compounded because we were asked to return to the office earlier than everybody else since my organization belonged to an industry that was considered essential. I felt exhausted even when I had to work from home. I also had to take medications to manage stress. Those were the critical incidents that made me decide to leave.

The sad part is that some employees who reportedly felt burnout during the pandemic were ignored until they eventually resigned. I desire to enlighten organizational leaders about this concern. By pinpointing stress and burnout as the root cause of employee resignations during the pandemic, I encourage leaders to start crafting strategies that will eradicate the negative experiences encountered by their employees.

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THE Great Resignation became a buzzword in the United States when the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020. After more than two years, experts claim it is here to stay. I got so interested in the phenomenon that I made it a research topic in one of the subjects of my doctoral studies. I tried to investigate if it was true for the Philippines.

This is what I gathered. Sprout Solutions PH's white paper provided data on the domestic attrition rate from 2020-2021. Data from over 1,000 clients revealed an upward trend, which meant an increasing number of Filipinos had resigned from their companies. At the national level, the labor turnover survey from the Philippine Statistics Authority also showed an upward trend from 2018-2021. For 2020-2021, the agency cited "personal issues" as the top reason employees voluntarily resign. They did not further elaborate on what it meant.

Early this year, I was watching the local primetime news and learned that many health care workers in the country were already experiencing burnout. I looked into the situation of other countries through articles. I found out that most authors agreed that burnout was causing voluntary turnover.

Even Dr. Anthony Klotz, who coined the term "Great Resignation," suggested that burnout was a possible reason. In the Philippines, Sprout Solutions attributed employee resignations to several reasons, including stress and burnout.

Are burnout and personal issues the same? I cannot prove this now since my research did not require empirical results, but I still firmly believe there is truth to my theory. I, for one, am part of the statistics because I resigned during the pandemic. I used to work for an organization where work was stressful. The stress compounded because we were asked to return to the office earlier than everybody else since my organization belonged to an industry that was considered essential. I felt exhausted even when I had to work from home. I also had to take medications to manage stress. Those were the critical incidents that made me decide to leave.

The sad part is that some employees who reportedly felt burnout during the pandemic were ignored until they eventually resigned. I desire to enlighten organizational leaders about this concern. By pinpointing stress and burnout as the root cause of employee resignations during the pandemic, I encourage leaders to start crafting strategies that will eradicate the negative experiences encountered by their employees.

Here in the Philippines, despite the Mental Health Law, there are still barriers to accessing mental health care such as the lack of mental health care providers and facilities. Employees in private organizations who enjoy health benefits still have difficulty availing of mental health services since some HMOs still do not cover it.

If burnout is the real culprit, I pray that organizations seriously consider their employees' well-being. I understand that they are committed to serving their customers but serving them is impossible if employees no longer want to be part of their mission.
Cholo Javier is a Doctor of Business Administration student at De La Salle University and an associate dean of Assumption College San Lorenzo. The views expressed above are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University and its faculty and administrators.

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THE Great Resignation became a buzzword in the United States when the Covid-19 pandemic started in 2020. After more than two years, experts claim it is here to stay. I got so interested in the phenomenon that I made it a research topic in one of the subjects of my doctoral studies.

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(Jazzell Dacup)
URL:
https://www.philstar.com/business/2022/08/16/2202847/work-and-well-being
Title: Work and well being
Author: Tony F. Katigbak
Date: August 16, 2022
Key Content: Before the global health pandemic, many companies were already considering the impact of health and wellness on their employees. Several companies, especially those that had trouble with high levels of attrition, were looking closer at what was causing employee burnout and eventually resignation. In many cases, the answer wasn’t the difficulty of work, but more about stress, high pressure, and the impact of increasing work and deadlines on mental health.

For many companies, this overall decline in employee wellness meant re-assessing how they promoted overall health and well-being for their teams. Whether it meant providing mental health support, having mental health leaves, or encouraging more open discussions on feeling overwhelmed and unwell at the office. Most of these topics were considered taboo several years ago, but have now come to light as legitimately important workplace discussions.

So how do businesses help employees put a premium on their well-being? While many companies presently can’t afford to raise their wages as they are also bouncing back from the global health crisis’s impact, they still need to help care for their employees. After all, it has been proven that healthy and happier employees are more productive and, therefore, better for the business. And employees that are feeling overwhelmingly stressed, sick, or unhappy will ultimately be bad for business, attrition, and overall team morale.

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Before the global health pandemic, many companies were already considering the impact of health and wellness on their employees.

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(Jazzmine Rhian Alba)

URL: https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2022/02/11871-workers-in-davao-region-lost-jobs-in-2021-due-to-pandemic/
Title:

11,871 workers in Davao Region lost jobs in 2021 due to pandemic

Author: Antonio L. Colina IV
Date: February 9, 2022
Key Content: As community restrictions eased, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-Davao region said the number of workers who lost jobs in 2021 decreased to 11,871 coming from 566 companies whose operations were severely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 9 Feb) - As community restrictions eased, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-Davao region said the number of workers who lost jobs in 2021 decreased to 11,871 coming from 566 companies whose operations were severely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Cacao workers in Davao City." MindaNews file photo

This is lower by 42% compared with 20,592 workers from 1,206 companies affected by the pandemic in 2020.

NEDA-Davao director Maria Lourdes Lim said during a virtual press conference streamed over the Philippine Information Agency-Davao's Facebook page that the total establishments included 450 companies that downsized operations leading to retrenchments, permanent closure of 85 firms, and temporary closure of 31 others.

"The expected level of employment achieved in 2021 as well as lesser number of retrenched workers and business closures are signs that the region is achieving its pre pandemic employment numbers," she said.

Lim added that the majority of the companies affected were from agriculture, forestry and fishery sector (AFFS), particularly the banana plantations in the region; and other services, including membership in organizations, repair of computers and personal and household goods.

"As these establishments continue to cope with lingering effects of pandemic, the top reason for termination of workers was the financial losses that these establishments continue to experience in 2021," she said.

Lim said the region saw improvement in employment figures last year.

She reported that the region was able to sustain high employment rates between the first and third quarters of 2021 within the range of 94.6% to 95% "due to reopening and sustained business operations as the spread of COVID-19 was contained."

She said the third quarter employment rate of 2021 was almost at par with pre-pandemic level during the first quarter of 2020 at 95.4%.

In 2020, the region posted an employment rate of 95.4% in the first quarter, decreased significantly to 82.1% in the second quarter, and slightly improved to 92% in the third quarter, she said.

"The said containment was attributed to massive vaccination drive by both the private and public sectors during the end of 2021 that yielded at 66.6% coverage for fully vaccinated individuals in Davao region, particularly for Davao City, we recorded a 90.2% vaccination coverage as recorded by DOH-Davao," she said.

She said as less restrictions in people mobility were observed in 2021, more quality jobs were generated as reflected in the region's underemployment rates which declined significantly to 9% in the second quarter.

However, she said the underemployment rate increased to 17.8% in the third quarter of 2021.

Despite the challenges confronting the region, she said the agency remained optimistic that it will continue to expand employment opportunities with the implementation of prevent, detect, isolate, treat, reintegrate, accelerated vaccination or PDITR-V of the Regional Task Force against COVID-19.

"This strategy essentially includes measures such as the aggressive promoting and enforcement of minimum public health standards and imposition of granular lockdowns instead of quarantine to whole areas," she said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

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11,871 workers in Davao Region lost jobs in 2021 due to pandemic

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DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 9 Feb) - As community restrictions eased, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA)-Davao region said the number of workers who lost jobs in 2021 decreased to 11,871 coming from 566 companies whose operations were severely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

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(Ashley Mah Paulo)
URL: https://www.rappler.com/nation/mindanao/national-labor-relations-commission-orders-foodpanda-pay-dismissed-delivery-riders-davao/
Title: NLRC orders foodpanda to pay 7 dismissed delivery riders in Davao

Author: Grace Cantal-Albasin
Date: July 29, 2022
Key Content: The Regional Arbitration Branch (RAB-XI) of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) of Davao City orders food delivery platform foodpanda to pay the seven illegally dismissed workers back in July 2021 PHP234,000 to PHP368,000, which amounts to a total of PHP2,240,000.

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(1st UPDATE) A Davao-based labor arbiter directs the popular food delivery company to pay workers P2.24 million for illegal dismissal

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - The Regional Arbitration Branch (RAB-XI) of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in the Davao Region found foodpanda Philippines Incorporated (FP) guilty of terminating the employment of seven workers in July 2021.

In a decision received on Monday, July 25, by the complainants, labor arbiter Rovyne Jumao-as of RAB-XI ordered the popular food delivery company to pay the workers, all delivery riders, P2.24 million for illegal dismissal.

The amount covers the full back wages, including the 13th-month pay, service incentive leave, and separation pay instead of the reinstatement of Edmund Carrillo, Francis Ghlenn Costan, Nerjhun Claramon, Manuel Lapiña, Roberto Gonzaga, Jeffrey Cabusas, and Nawar Solaiman.

Jumao-as, in her decision dated June 30, ordered the company to pay the workers from P234,000 to P368,000 each.

Carrillo, one of the workers and the president of Davao United Delivery Riders Association Incorporated, told Rappler that the NLRC decision was a vindication.

But he said he expected foodpanda to appeal the case, and he was determined to seek justice in the higher courts.

Carrillo said he and about 50 of his fellow workers were notified on July 13, 2021, that they were suspended from work until 2031.

Only 10 brought their complaint to the NLRC, but three slowly returned to work, he said.

Carrillo said their 10-year suspension order came after foodpanda learned that the delivery riders were planning an out-of-town ride for two days in July 2021, a plan that would have affected the firm's food delivery operations.

"Just right after my last delivery for the day on July 13, I was notified that I was suspended from working for foodpanda until 2031. That's for 10 years," Carrillo said.

At that time, the workers complained about the reduction of their distance pay without clear computations.

"We began questioning the pay we're getting, which got smaller and smaller. The company couldn't show us the computations. The delivery payment was supposedly dependent on the distance between customer and the establishment, and we only got a fixed rate," he said.

Carrillo joined foodpanda in September 2018, and he began earning as much as P30,000 in 15 days because there were only a few riders back then.

But when the pandemic hit, many soon joined the delivery services firm, and his income started to plunge.

Former Davao City councilor Pamela Librado, who has been helping the delivery riders, told Rappler that the NLRC's decision only recognized the rights of the dismissed workers who deserved back wages and other benefits the law provides.

"To me, this is just a tactical victory because we're yet heading to the exciting part pending the possible appeal. We have to remain vigilant and continue the fight even if it reaches the Supreme Court as this is a landmark case. To me, this is the fight of all delivery riders in the country," Librado said.

Librado has vowed to support the delivery riders until they get compensated.

Labor arbiter Jumao-as said it was difficult to determine the employment status of the delivery riders given the online transactions, but she was guided by the principles of social justice that protect the underprivileged.

In a statement on Saturday, July 30, foodpanda said it learned about the NLRC decision only through news reports as it had yet to receive a copy of the document.

The company said it was holding dialogues with their "Ka Panda" delivery freelancers regarding their concerns.

"Meanwhile, we continue the dialogues that we have been holding with our active Ka Panda partner delivery freelancers to discuss their concerns. In recent weeks especially, we have worked closely with our Ka Pandas to address their concerns regarding fuel price hikes, and have been supporting them to augment their earnings through additional incentives in their quests, fuel discounts from our partner providers, and facilitating increased tipping through our app," foodpanda said.

- Rappler.com

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NLRC orders foodpanda to pay 7 dismissed delivery riders in Davao

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(1st UPDATE) A Davao-based labor arbiter directs the popular food delivery company to pay workers P2.24 million for illegal dismissal DAVAO CITY, Philippines - The Regional Arbitration Branch (RAB-XI) of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) in the Davao Region found foodpanda Philippines Incorporated (FP) guilty of terminating the employment of seven workers in July 2021.

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(Jazzell Dacup)
URL:
https://www.philstar.com/business/2022/08/23/2204365/resignation-regret-quiet-quitting
Title: Resignation, regret, quiet quitting?
Author: Tony F. Katigbak
Date: August 23, 2022
Key Content: I think it’s too early to tell as far as backfiring. While many workers may have wished they didn’t act too hastily, many still found more happiness in a new way of living and working. The biggest takeaway for workers and businesses is that employers must evolve. They must focus on creating a toxic-free work environment and culture, with good leaders who can inspire and convince workers to stay.

Employee engagement is more critical than ever, beyond just creating fun programs and games for the staff. This means reaching out to your people and discovering what is important to them. Is it better working conditions, wage negotiation or flexible work arrangements? There should be a healthy discussion to find a suitable middle ground where everyone is happy.

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Last week I touched on the topic of work and well-being. The focus was on how companies could improve their workplace operations and policies to help ensure that they still prioritize employees' health, wellness, and overall happiness. This was an extremely timely topic as employees and employers strive to find a new balance post-pandemic. A balance that is still shifting and adjusting even now.

In 2021 there was a significant phenomenon called "The Great Resignation" or the "Big Quit" or "Great Reshuffle." Many employees left their jobs and moved to new ones during COVID-19 because of shifting priorities. Many factors included unsatisfactory wages, rising cost of living or even avoiding long commutes. One of the things that this mass turnover revealed was that the pandemic had changed how people think and this wasn't going to go back to normal even as restrictions eased.

I think it was a considerable learning experience for employers as well. The status quo had remained the same for so long that working long hours, burning out, and stress were just part of the norm. However, when the global pandemic hit, health became a bigger priority. More people weren't willing to sacrifice their wellness for their work. Safety was a big issue too. Many workers looked for jobs with better remote working policies and those who compromised to help employees navigate the best of both worlds.

You can't blame them. After all, one thing the pandemic showed us was that working remotely was possible and productive. Many companies did well during the pandemic despite the uncertainty. Workers found they could be just as effective at home as they could in the office, and they also were able to save money on the everyday commute and logistics.

However, it was never going to stay one-sided forever. Everyone knew that as restrictions eased and people were allowed to go out again, it was only a matter of time before people had to return to the office. What most were looking for was more flexible work arrangements or hybrid work. There is still so much benefit to working in person with a team - that can't be denied. But there are also many aspects of work that employees can do remotely.

But even as I wrote this piece last week about new trends in working, I saw some other pieces that talked about many regrets following the resignation trend. While some workers were happier in their new jobs or a new way of living, many regretted leaving what they knew for something new that didn't pan out. While regrets, in some form, are often to be expected in life changes, this also made raised questions whether the mass turnover in 2021 was made in haste and would backfire as life returned to normalcy.

I think it's too early to tell as far as backfiring. While many workers may have wished they didn't act too hastily, many still found more happiness in a new way of living and working. The biggest takeaway for workers and businesses is that employers must evolve. They must focus on creating a toxic-free work environment and culture, with good leaders who can inspire and convince workers to stay.

Employee engagement is more critical than ever, beyond just creating fun programs and games for the staff. This means reaching out to your people and discovering what is important to them. Is it better working conditions, wage negotiation or flexible work arrangements? There should be a healthy discussion to find a suitable middle ground where everyone is happy.

Ironically, after the "Great Resignation" and the succeeding great regret, there is another workplace trend I am seeing that is slowly gaining popularity. It's called "Quiet Quitting," and it is becoming quite popular online, especially on social media platforms like Tik Tok. It doesn't actually mean quitting your job - it just means doing your job with boundaries and not going above and beyond every time.

The term refers to the main issues that cause people to resign - overworking, long hours, and no work-life balance. These are the main factors in employee turnover, and quiet quitting is all about addressing these factors without leaving your job. And it doesn't mean slacking off either - it just means doing what you need to do, no more and no less. This could mean shutting down the laptop at a particular time and not taking messages 24/7 on your phone or messenger apps. It could mean carving out more family time outside of work. Essentially it means making time to care for yourself.

The revelation of quiet quitting is straightforward. It means finding ways to see how work fits into your life instead of the other way around. This could be a healthy way of defining work-life balance. For employers, as long as employees do their jobs well, quiet quitting shouldn't present problems. However, if you need them to go above and beyond or work overtime, they should be compensated for it, which is only fair.

We aren't returning to the status quo despite alert levels falling and more people being back out and about. Even as we strive to get things "back to normal," the fact remains that things have changed. Now it's our turn to decide if this change will be for the better.

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Last week I touched on the topic of work and well-being. The focus was on how companies could improve their workplace operations and policies to help ensure that they still prioritize employees' health, wellness, and overall happiness. This was an extremely timely topic as employees and employers strive to find a new balance post-pandemic.

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(Anne Therese Relova)
URL: https://www.rappler.com/nation/northern-mindanao-most-number-child-laborers-philippines/
TITLE:

Northern Mindanao has most number of child laborers in PH

AUTHOR: Bobby Lagsa
DATE: June 10, 2022
KEY CONTENT: The article reveals how child labor is often normalized in Northern Mindanao and how unsafe the working environment is for young children. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) projected that at least 20,000 children in Northern Mindanao are still being compelled to perform dangerous work due to poverty despite the government's campaign to abolish child labor.

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Northern Mindanao has most number of child laborers in PH

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DOLE-Northern Mindanao identifies Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, and Misamis Occidental as the provinces in the region where child labor remains prevalent

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URL:
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168037
Title: More workers quit amid pandemic, prefer hybrid work
Author: Ma. Cristina Arayata
Date: February 17, 2022
Key Content: The abrupt changes in the working scheme, lack of work-life balance, and the uncertainty over the pandemic were among the reasons why workers opted to quit, based on the study.

"These have taken a toll on some employees, especially on their mental health. Management decisions such as lay-offs, salary cuts, and other cost-cutting measures also had a role to play," Chandra said