DOLE awards NCR GKK champions

QUEZON CITY, May 25 (PIA)--The Occupational Safety & Health Center (OSHC) under the Department of Labor & Employment (DOLE) awarded workers and workplaces in the National Capital Region (NCR) who have exhibited outstanding achievements in responding to the safety and health needs of workers.

The Gawad Kaligtasan at Kalusugan (GKK) is a biennial award that aims to encourage institution/companies to voluntarily implement their own safety, health and environment programs, and in the process achieve productivity and zero accident in the workplace.

In the awarding ceremony held Tuesday at the OSHC in Quezon City, Maynilad’s Central Warehouse, Business Center and La Mesa Treatment Plant 2 and their Safety Head Engr. Conrad Soriano were adjudged as regional awardees for NCR

For the government sector, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) was also named GKK regional champion.

For the first time, the GKK was held in a two-tiered scheme with the regional and national levels.

According to OSHC Executive Director, Dr. Ma.Teresita Cucueco, Regional GKK awardees will be competing in the National GKK to be held in October this year.

Cucueco said that they are happy to note that there were many new contenders  as well as growing number of entries from the micro-enterprises or informal sector category.

The GKK is one of the five good housekeeping seals under the DOLE Incentivizing Compliance Program which aims to encourage companies to voluntarily comply with general labor laws and occupational safety and health standards.

For the new two-tiered scheme, the DOLE regional offices provided the OSHC with a list of companies which were issued a Certificate of Compliance on both General Labor and Occupational Safety and Health Standards as well as individuals, micro-enterprises and government offices with notable achievements on OSH.

Those who passed the document review and initial screening conducted by the Regional GKK Secretariat composed of personnel from the OSHC and Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) Regional Extension Units and DOLE Regional Offices underwent the regional validation.

For the regional validation, a team of experts from OSHC, ECC, DOLE regional offices, as well as representatives from the employers’ and workers’ groups visited the establishments to confirm if the safety and health programs and contributions mentioned in submitted documents are indeed in place.

Results of the validation are then deliberated by the Regional Selection Committee chaired by the DOLE regional director.

The Regional GKK Champions undergo the last phase-the final judging and deliberation to vie for the National GKK. A board of judges composed of representatives from the from the employers’ and workers’ groups, Social Security System, Philippine Health  Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), professional groups, the academe, and DOLE offices will rate the contenders based on best OSH practices and programs. (PIA-NCR/RJB/SDL)