To honor its civil servants during the 122 nd Civil Service Anniversary, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) XI put together a series of activities that primarily aimed to advocate gender and development as well as promote work-life balance among working men and women regardless of the sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIE).
One highlight of the celebration is the conduct of sports activities which took place every Friday from August 12, 2022 to September 16, 2022, hosted by the DOLE XI Field Offices. These activities were the men’s basketball game and mixed volleyball game (all genders).
DOLE XI divided its Regional and Field Offices into four (4) clusters to go head-to-head in friendly rivalries. The DOLE-Davao del Norte Field Office and DOLE-IGACoS Extension Office comprised the Cluster 1, DOLE-Davao del Sur Field Office, DOLE-Davao Occidental Field Office, and the Regional Office made up the Cluster 2, DOLE-Davao City Field Office was the Cluster 3, and DOLE-Davao de Oro Field Office and DOLE-Davao Oriental Field Office were the Cluster 4.
The opening ceremony was led by Assistant Regional Director Atty. Jason P. Balais which took place at the Davao del Norte Sport Complex in Tagum City. It started with the lighting of torch, oath of sportsmanship, and Zumba. Thereafter, the first round of basketball and volleyball games kicked off.
As he formally opened the sports activity, ARD Atty. Balais said that this kind of recreational activity would not only keep the workforce physically and mentally healthy but improve people’s productivity as well. “This opportunity is to honor all the time and energy to which you are willing to commit to achieve our mission as an organization. We want you to go out of your comfort zones and beat work-related pressures through this fun and diverting activity that we all deserve,” he added.
After the series of games held in the cities of Tagum, Digos, Mati, and Davao, the Cluster 4 emerged victorious with a record of zero losses and took home the championships for both games. DOLE XI also recognized individual players who have shone and dominated during the games. The culmination of the Sports Activities was held on September 15-16, 2022 at Mergrande Ocean Resort, Davao City. Both regular and non-regular personnel of DOLE XI were in attendance.
In the evening, the lively and exciting search for DOLE XI Gender and Development (GAD) Ambassadors transpired at the same venue. One male and female delegates each from the regional and field offices competed in various categories including the question and answer. The search also featured the best GAD practices of each DOLE XI office. Among the practices that were highlighted were the establishment of breastfeeding corners for working mothers, equal work opportunities for men and women, persistent support to GAD advocacies, and installation of gender-neutral restrooms.
After the nerve-racking and competitive performances, Mr. Kenneth Clark Balones of the Regional Office and Ms. Dara Joy Morales of the DOLE-Davao Oriental Field Office were crowned the Mr. and Ms. GAD 2022, respectively. The winners are expected to serve as GAD ambassador and ambassadress of DOLE XI along with the GAD Focal Point System (GFPS). They will take part in harnessing and influencing respectability of men and women in the workplace.
Lastly, the crowd had a whale of a time in the gender-inclusive dance competition among the offices in which the group representing the Regional Office bagged the grand prize.
“This activity is another manifestation of why DOLE XI is among the top performing regional office. It is because of our skillful and unified workforce that we are able to get our hands in these accomplishments. Congratulations!” said Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy in his speech during the evening event.
Ultimately, the celebration pulled off the desired result to promote unity and camaraderie among the personnel of DOLE across Davao Region while nurturing gender and development in the workplace.
In addition to the Civil Service Commission’s thematic focus on resilience in this year’s anniversary, CSC also encourages government offices to arrange special treats for civil servants as a gesture of appreciation for their hard work and dedication.
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