8/23/2020 E-Library - Information At Your Fingertips: Printer Friendly replacing their national currencies with the Euro.[32] After its gradual adaptation to the new economic and monetary regime, its national currency, the Irish Pound, finally departed and ceased to be legal tender on February 9, 2002.[33] Inasmuch as the monetary award in this case has been fixed in the Irish Pound but to be paid in its Philippine Peso equivalent, the Labor Arbiter, in issuing the subject writ of execution on July 31, 2012, has made a practical, consequential and logical call when she recomputed and converted the final Decision's money award into the prevailing currency that replaced the previous - not to say demonetized and, hence, obsolete and worthless currency, but still payable to Gutierrez in Philippine Peso equivalent. The power of the Labor Arbiter to make, at the first instance, a computation of monetary award in an illegal dismissal case is sanctioned by the NLRC Rules of Procedure.[34] Implied from this original computation is its currency up to the finality of the decision.[35] Indeed, on one hand, had the case purely involved an employee's claim for a specific sum of money, the computation would carry such a continuing currency that any adjustment or change might only be on the interest that would run from the finality of the decision until full satisfaction of the judgment obligation. On the other hand, in a claim that relates to status, such as in illegal dismissal cases, what is principally implemented is the declaratory finding on the status, rights and obligations of the parties, and the monetary consequence only follows as a mere incidental component of said finding.[36] That the Labor Arbiter has been impelled to make an allowance for the conversion of the money award to happen inspite of the demonitization of the Irish Pound, is well in accord with Republic Act No. 8183.[37] This law authorizes obligations incurred in foreign currency to be discharged in our local money at the prevailing rate of exchange at the time of payment. In other words, because it is just and fair to preserve the real value of the foreign exchange-incurred obligation to the date of its payment,[38] it is just as much legal and logical to take into account the fact that the exchange rate at the time of execution was already measured in terms of the Euro. At any rate, Session Delights Ice Cream, and Fast Foods v. Court of Appeals[39] instructs that a re-computation of the monetary award is indeed part of the law that is read into the decision. The re-computation of the consequences of an illegal dismissal, to accommodate the reliefs that continue to add on until full satisfaction of the award, even upon execution of the decision does not constitute an alteration or amendment of the final decision being implemented. Indeed, the ruling on the illegality of the dismissal stands, and only the computation of the monetary consequences must adapt to changes albeit without running foul to the principle of immutability of a final judgment.[40] With approval, we quote the observation made by the Court of Appeals on this matter: The Writ of Execution did not alter the essential particulars of the judgment to be executed. The original fallo provides that the money judgment is payable in Philippine Peso at the rate of exchange prevailing at the time of payment. To be able to convert the said money judgment from Irish Pound to Philippine Peso, it is necessary to first convert it to Euro since Irish Pound elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocsfriendly/1/65086 4/8