Among the mandates of the Department of Labor and Employment is to ensure safe and healthy workplace for all working Filipinos by affording them full protection against all hazards in their work environment. Not only the department promotes occupational health and safety standards, but more importantly, DOLE puts these principles into practice.

For the Department of Labor and Employment XI (DOLE XI), the regional office has developed and implemented the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) to directly safeguard its personnel’s’ health and safety in performing and implementing the department’s programs and services in Davao Region.

One of DOLE XI’s strategy to attain the intended outcomes of its Occupational Health and Safety Management System is to continually capacitate its personnel and to determine opportunities for improvement.

For instance, designated Safety Officers in DOLE XI Regional and Field Offices attended a training on Emergency Preparedness before, during, and after earthquake, fire, and bomb threat occurrences in the workplace and in the time of implementation of its programs and services.

Orientations and drills were facilitated by Engr. Eduardo T. Lauron of the PhiVolcs Davao, Engr. Lizardo P. Remojo of the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, Inc., SFO2 Rodelle G. Estolloso of the Bureau of Fire Protection XI, and Mr. Jasper Manriquez of Davao United Responders for Immediate Action Network. The training took place in Davao City on September 1-2, 2022.

Similarly, the DOLE XI-Davao del Norte Field Office initiated a training on Basic First Aid for its selected personnel in partnership with the Red Cross Davao del Norte on September 3, 2022 in Tagum City. The trainings covered Red Cross Safety Services, Introduction to First Aid, Guidelines in Giving Emergency Care, and Patient or Casualty Handling. Mr. Chrisfel B. Omallao, RN and Mr. Bellward Ponce of Red Cross provided the lectures and demonstrations.

These activities are in line with the commitment of DOLE XI to provide safe and healthy environment to protect its employees, its property, and the public from accidents and or occupational diseases.

“As an ISO 45001:2018-certified organization, DOLE XI sees to it that safety always comes first in our workplace,” said Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy in a statement. “Aside from enforcing our mandate to ensure safety and health in the workplace, we also want to set an example to private and government organizations alike,” he added.