TWENTY-SIX workers in Davao City recovered a total of ₱497,850 in unlawfully withheld cash bonds following the enforcement of Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) regulations prohibiting unauthorized wage deductions.
The money was returned on Sept. 28, 2026, through the Single-Entry Approach (Sena) program of the Dole-Davao City Field Office, the office reported in a Facebook post on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026.
Under Labor Advisory No. 11, series of 2014, employers may deduct from wages only when the law allows it, such as for insurance premiums the employer advanced or for union dues, or when employees authorize in writing a payment to a third person.
The workers had signed authorizations for the deductions. But after reviewing the rules, Dole found that the advisory does not allow deducting a cash bond.
The 26 workers and a management representative appeared before Sena desk officer Maria Shiela Espiritusanto, who reviewed the cash bond documents and helped both sides agree to release the money, according to the post. The post did not name the company.
Separation pay
In a separate case, two banana industry workers received a total of P848,252.90 in separation pay through Sena after both sides met on Oct. 5 before desk officer Ric DS. Cabañog, Dole-Davao City, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026.
One worker received P754,729.19 and the other P93,523.71.
Both had left their jobs, including through resignation, but were still entitled to separation pay under their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which grants the benefit to qualified workers based on length of service.
According to the report, the worker who received P93,523.71 was not a union member. He resigned after eight years with the company to take a better job elsewhere, not because of any problem at work.
"I was already aware of this benefit when I joined the company. We were informed that we would receive it upon separation from employment, so I was already expecting it. I am very happy and grateful that they honored the agreement," the worker said in a statement shared by Dole.
Sena, institutionalized under Republic Act 10396, gives workers and employers up to 30 days of conciliation-mediation to settle disputes without going to court.
In the first half of 2026, the Dole-Davao City Field Office handled 1,062 requests for assistance and released P63,044,066.03 in monetary claims to 632 workers through conciliation-mediation. GRS