The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has settled a total of 13 strikes during the month of January, including one that hit a large company in Angeles City, Pampanga, and 12 other firms, eight of them in Metro Manila, two in Central Luzon, and two in the Southern Tagalog region.

In a report to Malacanang, Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that the disputes affecting the firms in the three regions were settled through the prompt action of the conciliation and mediation mechanisms of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) headed by Executive Director Rolando Rico C. Olalia.

Sto. Tomas said the responses of NCMB conciliator-mediators helped labor and management parties to come to terms and resolve contentious issues, among them unfair labor practice, violations of collective bargaining agreement, and non-payment of due benefits.

The NCMB, Sto. Tomas said, was able to resolve on January 22 the 41-day old strike at the Neo Art Corporation in Angeles City, Pampanga staged by some 800 workers who belong to the Samahang Manggagawa of Neo Art Corporation.

Sto. Tomas said the contending parties successfully reached an agreement including the payment of 13th month pay, five days vacation leave, five days sick leave and SSS premium on top of the daily wage; the payment of P300,000 as cash assistance in lieu of their 13th month pay to 92 striking workers; re-admittance to work of all striking workers without discrimination; and other pertinent provisions.

The DOLE chief said that the rest of the disputes settled were "left-over" cases filed in Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon towards the end of 2002, and resolved within reasonable time. These cases involved 12 companies, namely:

Magandang araw po sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan.

Aalis ako patungong Kuwait upang makipag-pulong sa pinuno nitong emir at tingnan ang kalagayan ng mga manggagawang Pilipinong naroroon.

Idinadalangin natin na sana, ang isyu ng Iraq ay mapayapang malutas sa ilalim ng pangangasiwa ng United Nations. Sana ay bigyan ni Saddam Hussein ng kaagad at seryosong pagsunod ang U.N. Security Council resolutions upang maiwasan ang giyera para na rin sa ikabubuti nang lahat.

Anumang puwedeng mangyari sa Iraq ay di pa kayang alamin ng ating pamahalaan sa ngayon, maliban sa tiyakin ang ating mga kababayan na handa tayong protektahan ang mga Pilipino sa Gitnang Silangan gayundin ang ating supply ng langis.

Si Special Envoy Roy Cimatu ang pinuno ng ating Middle East Preparedness Team. Malaki ang aking tiwala na napaghandaan na nila ang mga dapat gawin kung sakaling magka-giyera sa Iraq. Tinitiniyak ni Ambassador Cimatu na nasa highest state of preparedness ang ating mga embahada at kinauukulang ahensya ng pamahalaan sa Iraq at sa mga karatig-bansa nito.

Para sa kapakanan ng ating OFWs sa Middle East, ang pamahalaan ay nakahandang magpatupad ng selective and voluntary relocation and/or evacuation ng halos isang milyon at kalahating Pilipinong naroroon. Magiging gabay natin ang konsiderasyon na hangga't maaari ay hindi dapat mawalan ng trabaho ang sinuman at kailangang magpatuloy ang ating magandang relasyon sa mga bansa ng Gitnang Silangan.

Dalawa ang ating plano para sa OFWs sa Kuwait. Ang una ay para sa nobenta porsiyento (90%) ng animnapung libong Pilipinong naroroon na gugustuhing manatili sa bansa at ang pangalawa ay para sa sampung porsiyento (10%) na kinakailangang ilikas sa mga ligtas na lugar.

Ang iba pang mga bansa sa Middle East tulad ng Saudi Arabia, Israel at Iran, ay maituturing na ligtas sa panganib. Kaya, ang mga OFWs natin doon ay papayagang huwag na munang umalis sa kanilang kinaroroonan.

Ang ating Middle East Preparedness Team ay nasa Persian Gulf Region upang personal na tutukan ang kapakanan ng ating mga kababayan doon. Ang OWWA naman ay naglaan na ng dalawandaan at limampung milyong piso (P250 M) na maaaring gamitin sa paglikas ng OFWs at iba pa nilang pangangailangan kung sakaling sumiklab ang digmaan.

I want to assure our people that I have the safety and welfare of our OFWs foremost in my mind. Our Republic is in close and continuous coordination with all relevant agencies, host governments and employers' groups in all the countries in the area.

Tungkol naman sa ating supply ng langis, nananatiling puno ang imbakan ng ating langis at may nakahanda tayong contingency measures sa anumang puwedeng mangyari.

Kailangan lamang nating mag-sakripisyo kung tataas ang presyo ng gasolina dahil sa giyera. Ispekulasyon nga lamang na may darating na giyera ay nagpataas na sa presyo ng krudo.

Batay sa mga nakaraang karanasan, tumataas ang presyo ng langis kapag may giyerang inaasam. Pero, oras na magsimula ang giyera, bumabagsak ang presyo. At dahil inaasahan madaling manalo ang Amerika kung may labanan, ilalabas nila ang maraming krudo. Kaya, bukod sa ating dalangin na huwag sanang magka-giyera, ipagdasal din natin na kung magka-giyera man ay maging maikli lamang sana.

Tiniyak naman ng Land Transportation and Regulatory Board na walang magaganap na pagtaas nang pasahe ngayong buwan sa kabila ng nabubuong tensiyon sa Gitnang Silangan. Nais kong pasalamatan ang ating mga transport groups dahil sa hindi nila pagtataas ng pasahe sa kabila ng mga naging pagtaas ng presyo ng langis. Nagpahayag din sila na sinusubaybayan muna nila ang mga pangyayari bago sila magmungkahi ng anumang karagdagang pasahe para sa kapakanan ng sambayanan.

Sana ay maunawaan ng ating mga kababayan na, bilang inyong Pangulo, handa akong gawin ang lahat sa abot ng aking makakaya para sa kagalingan ng ating bansa. Nakahanda rin ang pamahalaan na tumulong sa ating mga mamamayan sa lahat ng oras. Kaya lamang, maging handa sana tayong mag-sakripisyo kung kinakailangan.

Samahan ninyo ako ng inyong mga dalangin sa aking misyon sa Gitnang Silangan. Samahan ninyo ako para makamit ang ating mga adhikain at mas magiging matamis ang tagumpay na ating makakamtan.

ROXAS CITY – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today opened the gate of Culasi Port here, formally interconnecting it with the country’s nautical highway and with the chain of roll-on roll-off (RO-RO) terminal systems nationwide.

In a speech during the inauguration of the marginal wharf and RO-RO ramp at Culasi Port, the President said the event has opened more windows of opportunity and socio-economic growth in the area.

The opening of Culasi Port RO-RO facilities would effectively "reduce cargo costs from Mindanao to the Visayas to Luzon" while attracting investments that would create jobs benefiting the people of Capiz province, she said.

She noted that investors were interested in operating a ferryboat that would directly travel from this city to the Masbate RO-RO ramp and in putting up a cold storage facility for Capiz’s fish products.

The President told Capizeņos that she had recently signed an executive order that would provide greater private sector participation in the RO-RO terminal system.

The order simplified port procedures and requirements while easing port traffic.

She directed Philippine Ports Authority General Manager (PPA) Al Cusi to assure that red tape in RO-RO facilities nationwide are greatly reduced, if not eliminated.

She also ordered officials of the Maritime Industry Authority to do the same.

The RO-RO terminal system is part of the administration’s sustainable logistics development program.

Under this, some P20 billion have been allotted to bankroll storage plants, ferryboats and port facilities throughout the country.

ESTANCIA, Iloilo – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today announced that she would be leaving for Kuwait tomorrow (February 2, Sunday) to personally look after the welfare of Middle East-based overseas Filipinos workers (OFW) in the wake of growing tensions between the United States and Iraq.

"I want to make sure of the safety of our nationals in case war breaks out in Iraq," the President said in her keynote address during the inspection and inauguration of the 32-megawatt power barge at the Estancia port here.

She assured the families and friends of OFWs that the government has been closely monitoring the conditions of some 1.4 million Filipino workers in the Persian Gulf.

"We are in close and continued coordination with all relevant agencies, host governments and employers’ groups in all the countries in the Persian Gulf to ensure the safety and welfare of the OFWs there," she said.

ESTANCIA, Iloilo – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today instructed the Department of Energy (DOE) to implement a power action plan for Panay province to boost the supply of electricity in the province and deter power shortages in the Visayas by next year.

The President made the directive during her speech at the inauguration of a 32-megawatt power plant barge of the National Power Corporation at the Estancia Port here.

The power barge came from Bauan, Batangas and transferred to Estancia to help stabilize power in the Panay grid. At the same time, it would improve the delivery of electricity in Northern Panay.

In her speech, the President announced that her administration had been seriously looking for a long-term solution to the power shortage that might directly hit the Visayas region.

Concrete programs to this effect include the relocation of the old power plant based in Luzon to the Visayas.

She said that at least six private companies have expressed interest to develop the power requirements of Panay.

"A long-term solution is needed. I have instructed the DOE to implement a power action plan for Panay to arrest the shortfall of electricity and implement measures within 12 months," she said.

She said the DOE would be conducting a series of consultations starting next week to arrive at options to solve the expected power shortfall.

The consultations would be conducted in Antique, Capiz, Aklan, Guimaras and Iloilo. She hoped the consultations would be completed in time for the power summit on February 5 to 7.

The President said she wanted the people of the Visayas to be informed on developments in power generation using new alternative sources of power like biomass and solar energy.