Friday, October 17, 2008 Pact on non-wage benefits signed By Ian Ocampo Flora
CLARK FREEPORT -- Members of the Regional Inter-Agency Committee on Non-Wage Benefits in Region III (Riac-NWB-CL) and Central Luzon chambers of commerce have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) Thursday for the implementation of non-wage benefits package to private sector workers.
In the MOA signing held at the Benjamina Function Room at Hotel Stotsenberg the Riac-NWB-CL and the chambers agreed to partner for the development, promotion and implementation of the Non-Wage Package of Intervention Program.
This, they said, is in support of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration's thrust to augment, improve and fast-track delivery of government-initiated assistance to alleviate the standards of living of the minimum wage workers and their families.
Businessman Renato Romero of Pampanga Chamber of Commerce (PamCham) said the non-wage benefit is one way of easing the burden on the part of the employers.
"Instead of increasing the monetary aspect of employment, we partnered with the National Government Agencies to extend their products and services to the private sector employees for low priced commodities and services," Romero added.
The move came after workers have been affected by the increases in the prices of products and services, including fare hikes, brought about by several factors.
Under the said MOA, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) will take the lead in promoting to the private establishments in the region the implementation of all Non-Wage Package of Intervention Programs and Services.
According to Dole director Nathaniel Lacambra, they would be encouraging the employers to commit in the implementation of the program.
"We are going to facilitate and coordinate arrangements with both labor and management the setting up of the program in the beneficiary-company," Lacambra said.
The Dole is also tasked to issue advisory guidelines that encourage and open communication in private establishments to adopt and implement the Non-Wage package of Intervention Programs and Services for their minimum wage earner workers.
Health benefits are also ensured in the said program. The Department of Health (DOH), for example, will provide 200 Botika ng Barangay Para sa Manggagawa in Central Luzon, a variant of the Botika ng Barangay Program, that will ensure availability of affordable, safe, effective, quality essential drugs to the workplace.
The National Food Authority (NFA) is tasked to make NFA commercial grade rice available to government and private employees at prevailing NFA Consumers' Price at the time of purchase.
The Commission on Higher Education (Ched) will also make available for the employees and dependents of participating companies: scholarship programs, national scholarship programs and grants-in-aides programs
For its part, the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (Tesda) shall make available scholarship programs for the deserving dependents workers.
The chambers shall work with the Riac-NWB-CL in implementing among companies the Non-Wage Benefits Package of Intervention Program to help augment the minimum wage of their workers
The program is not limited to the establishments who are members of the various chambers but also open to private companies who also signified their interest to avail of the same program package of non-wage benefits for their minimum wage earning workers.
The signing here was attended by representatives and officials of the government line agencies of the Riac-NWB-CL which include Dole, Department of Agriculture (DA), NFA, Department of Health, Ched, Department of Education, Tesda, Department of Social Welfare
and Development, Department of Trade and Industry, and the National Economic and Development Authority.
Partner chambers include the Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, PamCham, Angeles City Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, San Fernando Filipino-Chinese Chamber Of Commerce, Inc., Clark Investors and Locators Association, Tarlac Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Bataan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce of Industries.
