CEBU CITY – Ten construction workers from Bohol province were granted more than P57,000 in unpaid 13th-month pay following a dispute settlement with their employer through the government’s Single-Entry Approach program (SEnA).

Following the settlement, Lilia Estillore, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 7 Officer-in-Charge, believes the public is now aware of the benefits of SEnA, an inexpensive, speedy, and non-litigious way of settling labor disputes.

“The DOLE continues to encourage workers to maximize SEnA before formally filing a labor case. The number of cases lodged before DOLE and other offices offering SEnA services has significantly reduced,” Estillore said.

Estillore said the latest settlement came from Bohol where the 10 workers received their unpaid 13th-month pay, totaling PHP57,274, through the SEnA conferences.

Maria Eloida Cantona, Bohol field office’s chief labor and employment officer, said the settlement came after the workers filed a request for assistance before her officer against their employer, a construction firm.

“It took three conciliation-mediation conferences for both parties to reach an amicable settlement,” she said.

The labor agency’s field office in Bohol, she said, has handled different workplace disputes that are either filed by the employer or the workers themselves. (PNA)