ECC @ 40: Pinahusay na Serbisyo at Benepisyo sa Manggagawang Naaksidente o Nagkasakit Nang Dahil sa Trabaho

Created in November 1, 1974 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 442, or the Labor Code of the Philippines and became fully operational with the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 626, or the State Insurance Fund, the Employees’ Compensation Commission is a quasi-judicial corporate entity created to implement the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP). The ECP provides a package of benefits for public and private sector employees and their dependents in the event of work-connected contingencies such as sickness, injury, disability or death.

As implementer of the ECP, the ECC is mandated by law to provide meaningful and appropriate compensation to workers. Its main functions are formulation of policies and guidelines for the improvement of the ECP; review and make a decision on appealed EC claims disapproved by the Social Security Systems (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System ( GSIS); and initiation of policies and programs toward adequate occupational health and safety and accident prevention in the working environment.

Under the ECP, a worker who figured in a work-related injury, illness, disability, or death is entitled to a loss of income benefit, medical benefits, rehabilitation services, carer’s allowance, death benefits, and funeral benefits.

As of September 2014, there are 187,669 EC benefits claims from the private sector were paid amounting to P763.82 million and 9,488 EC benefits claims worth P101.72 million from the public sector.

Death and pension benefits comprised the highest share in the EC payments made both by the SSS and the GSIS. with work- related disabilities ( PWRDs) achieve functional independence and become economically productive as they enter the mainstream.

“Since 2008, the physical restoration component of the KaGabay program has benefitted an increasing number of PWRDs with physical and occupational therapy sessions, prosthetics, and other assistive devices,” Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said.

ECC Executive Director Stella ZipaganBanawis states that 474 PWRDs availed of KaGabay’s physical restoration services from 2008 up to 2014 while 86 were provided with prosthesis and assistive devices amounting to P2,483,000.

On the other hand, Director Banawis also reported that in 2014, a total of 166 PWRDs underwent various livelihood and vocational training courses and business orientation seminars.

With the aim of monitoring the beneficiaries’ progress and activities, the Work Contingency, Prevention, and Rehabilitation Division of the ECC conducted 100 home visits in 2014.

“In our home visits, we found out that 40 PWRD-beneficiaries were already engaged in income-generating livelihood undertakings; nine are engaged in freelance job; another nine are planning to expand their small businesses; four are seeking employment; four are continuing physical therapy; two have returned to wage employment; while one is already employed abroad. We are happy to note that the program was able to help the PWRDs start anew,” Banawis stated.

“We are continuously finding ways on how we can further help the PWRDs to build their lives again,” Baldoz ended.