Davide Graces 1st Cebu Labor Relations Congress

With the growing complexities of today’s businesses and labor relations, Gov. Hilario Davide III hoped that the 1st Cebu Employee and Labor Relations HR Leaders Congress could provide practitioners in human resources management a venue for knowledge sharing so they could do better to the organization to which they belong.

“Managing employer-employee relationships is much more than just setting salaries and scheduling leaves of absences. It is more than just checking attendance, or printing identification cards. It is more than just planning company picnics or choosing uniforms,” Davide said in his welcome address to participants of the Congress last Thursday.

“Human Resources Department develops the human resource. The challenge for HR managers is how to make employees more dedicated, more honest, more loyal and more productive,” he added.

To adapt to the changing times, the governor pointed out that the old image of an HR office, which looks similar to a principal’s den during his elementary grades, is no longer valid.

“You, the HR practitioners must make the employees want to come to you,” he said.

Representatives of some companies in Cebu and outside Region 7 attended the gathering.

Experts from private sectors and officials from various government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Education tackled burning issues on human resource management and labor relations in a panel discussion.

The topics include the productivity gain sharing, impact on K-12 program on future workforce, business of manpower service and outsourcing of workers and the latest Supreme Court decisions.

Among the issues that sparked animated discussions was the topic about love, sex, and romances in the company offices and factories as well as cases on sexual assault and sexual harassment involving managers, supervisors, and rank-and-file employees. Former Labor Undersecretary Josephus Jimenez discussed these.

By Kelvin Cañizares

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