INDUSTRIAL PEACE. Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando signs the declaration of commitment and solidarity for industrial peace and partnership for economic progress during the launch of the Joint Industrial Peace and Concerns Office (JIPCO) held at the Auditorium Victory Church in Barangay Sumapang Matanda, City of Malolos, Bulacan on Wednesday (Feb. 26, 2020). Col. Lawrence Cajipe, acting provincial police director (2nd from left); Brig. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, regional police director (2nd from right); and City of Malolos Mayor Gilbert Gatchalian also graced the event. (Photo by Manny Balbin)
CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan – The regional police here has launched the Joint Industrial Peace and Concerns Office (JIPCO), a proactive effort to shield the workforce from radical labor organizations and prevent the infiltration of communist groups in Central Luzon’s industrial zones.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 (Central Luzon) Director, Brig. Gen. Rhodel O. Sermonia, led the launch of the project at the Auditorium Victory Church in Barangay Sumapang Matanda, this city on Wednesday.
During the program, Sermonia said JIPCO is neither anti-labor nor an instrument of intimidation and repression of labor rants.
“JIPCO is for responsible unionism of harmonizing the labor and capital relations. It is for the job security and welfare of the workers. It is for industrial peace,” he said.
Sermonia noted that the police respects any legal trade union so long as it promotes a harmonious relationship between workers and employers.
He added that JIPCO is a mechanism to pre-empt industrial crimes, insulate the labor force from illegal drug abuse, and prevent sexually-related abuses in the workplace.
“It also aims to address industrial crimes like pilferage, hijacking, and technical smuggling,” Sermonia said.
Governor Daniel Fernando, who served as guest of honor and speaker, thanked the police officials for the implementation of JIPCO which, he said, would benefit labor groups in the province.
Fernando cited peace and order as the foundation of a strong and resilient community.
“When the community is at peace, the market will be vibrant and progressive and the communist group will not enter our province when we are united," he said.
The program’s highlight was a ceremonial signing of the declaration of commitment and solidarity for industrial peace and partnership for economic progress by police and local officials, as well as heads of government agencies, investors, and other stakeholders.
The JIPCO is a community relations program of the Philippine National Police that intends to insulate industrial zones, primarily manufacturing industries under the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, from the nuisance of destructive radical unionism perpetrated by the legal organizations of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front in the labor sector.
It is generally the first line of defense from radical infiltration of the labor force and the industrial zones, which is essentially an End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) concern. (PNA)
