Dole boosting FWP in Central Luzon

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Labor Department of Central Luzon has started boosting its Family Welfare Program or FWP designed to strengthen family ties of workers in Central Luzon, a Dole official said.

Labor communications officer Jerry Borja said Dole regional director Raymundo Agravante over the weekend instructed all provincial field offices to intensify the program to further sustain industrial peace in the region.

Agravante recently led the conduct of series of orientations on the FWP involving three entities in Baler, Aurora province: Wesleyan University, Aurora Electric Cooperative (Aurelco), and Alalay sa Kaunlaran Inc. (Aski), where family welfare committees were established.

Wesleyan University’s FWP “Securing Efficient Faculty members and Staff through Training and Educational Assistance,” focuses on education and training assistance that will be provided to all qualified employees.

Aurelco’s FWP, Enlightened Workers through Sports and Leisure Activities, involves activities like social nights for employees, education and training assistance and medical insurance.

Aski’s FWP, meanwhile, offers micro finance services based on its concept “Extending Entrepreneurial Spirit to the Family of ASKI Employees.”

“The FWP is our way to help both management and employees to realize better working relationship by fulfilling the needs of the family of workers. The formula is very simple: A happy family means a happy worker; a happy worker means higher productivity; higher productivity means more competitive establishments,” Agravante said.

The 10 dimensions of the FWP include Reproductive Health or Responsible Parenthood; Education or Gender Equality; Spirituality and Values Formation; Income Generation, Livelihood, Cooperative; Medical Health Care; Nutrition; Environment Protection; Hygiene and Sanitation; Sports and Leisure; and Housing and Transportation. (Jovi T. De Leon)