OVER 1,000 workers in Davao City have secured monetary settlements, back wages, and separation claims through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (Dole) Single-Entry Approach (Sena) program, official agency reports showed.
Data released on the Dole-Davao City Field Office (Dole-Davao City) portal revealed that during the first half of 2026, the office handled 1,062 Requests for Assistance (RFAs). During conciliation-mediation conferences, where a labor officer helps both sides clarify claims and negotiate payouts without going to court, the office successfully facilitated the release of ₱63,044,066.03 in monetary claims to 632 affected workers.
Overall mid-year figures from the field office show that 1,098 workers in the city have received a total of ₱84,832,985 in monetary settlements.
According to Dole-Davao City, the most frequent labor grievances resolved through these settlements include non-payment of final pay, underpayment of the minimum wage, disputes over illegal dismissal packages, and unpaid 13th-month pay.
Among the individual cases settled was that of a laid-off appliance retail worker who received ₱79,912.33 in full separation pay. In a web report detailing the case, Dole-Davao Region noted that the employee was displaced due to operational challenges before reaching an agreement through conciliation led by Sena desk officer Jocelyn Flordelis.
Similar efforts continue across neighboring provinces. In a social media update posted Wednesday, September 2, the Dole-Davao del Norte reported the successful settlement of a separate labor dispute, turning over ₱166,001.26 in monetary claims to affected workers.
In an agency statement, Dole 11-Davao City Head Atty. Connie Beb Torralba emphasized that open dialogue between management and labor enables swift and fair resolutions without resorting to lengthy legal proceedings.
To file for Sena assistance, aggrieved workers or employers may submit a Request for Assistance form at any Dole regional or field office, or file online through the official Sena portal. A designated desk officer then schedules a conciliation conference within 30 days to facilitate a voluntary agreement.
Institutionalized under Republic Act No. 10396, Sena offers a mandatory 30-day conciliation-mediation process designed to provide an impartial, speedy, and inexpensive alternative to court litigation. Most cases handled under the program are resolved within five to nine days. GRS
