ECC’s 3Es strategy: A great tool to advance the Employees’ Compensation Program

The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) headed by executive director Stella Zipagan-Banawis continues to soar high with the implementation of its recent reform policies and programs anchored on a strategic framework aptly called 3Es - Equalize, Enhance, and Expand in response to the challenges facing the EC Program.

The 3Es strategy is aimed at improving the commission’s existing EC policies and programs, thus staying true to its mandate to upgrade benefits and make them relevant that employees may avail of them if they suffer from work-related contingencies.

In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) No. 54 which increased EC benefits that employees and/or their beneficiaries may avail of. This is in addition to the earlier prescription of speedy processing of EC claims both at the GSIS and SSS, and the reduced process cycle time of EC appealed cases from 40 working days to 20 working days.

Under the new EO, the ECC grants an additional P1,150 in EC monthly pension of all EC permanent disability and survivorship pensioners in the private sector retroactive to January 2017. Carer’s allowance both in the public and private sector was also increased from P575 to P1,000 per month.

Other enhanced benefits for the private sector include the increase in the amount of EC temporary total disability or sickness benefits from a minimum daily income benefit of P10 to P110 and from a maximum daily income benefit of P200 to P480. The amount of reimbursement for physical therapy sessions under the EC medical benefits in the private sector is now increased from P65 per session to a maximum of P500 per session.

Reimbursement rates for professional fees of physicians under the EC medical benefits in the private sector has also been increased from P100 for a general practitioner (GP) and P150 for a specialist during the initial visit to P400 per day for a GP and P600 for a specialist during the daily ward visits and a maximum of P1,600 for a GP and P2,400 for a specialist per confinement. For ICU/CCU Ward, rates per day for a GP are P800 and P1,200 for a specialist, and a maximum of P3,200 for a GP and P4,800 for a specialist per confinement.

Earlier increases in EC benefits also include funeral benefits from P3,000 and P10,000 to P30,000 for government and private sector workers, respectively; lifting of suspended EC benefits for the government sector; and improved rehabilitation services such as the provision of cash assistance and the increase in the amount of starter kits and transportation/meal allowance for trainees undergoing free medical rehabilitation or skills/entrepreneurial training.

“The 3Es - Equalize, Enhance, and Expand strategy has been a relevant framework and guide in living out ECC’s commitment of providing a more responsive package of benefits and services to persons with work-related disabilities (PWRDs),” said Labor and Employment Secretary and ECC chairperson Silvestre Bello III.

According to Bello, the ECC will continue to make reforms that will better serve all Filipino workers but he also reminded everyone that though there is an EC program, the primacy of safety and health in the workplace should be recognized and promoted by all stakeholders.

Recently, the ECC and the SSS prepared the guidelines for the coverage of self-employed workers under the ECP as an actuarial study showed that the State Insurance Fund has the capacity to finance this new initiative towards universal coverage of all workers under the EC Program.

“The ECC is pursuing the establishment of a rehabilitation center. We are also working to advance our Return to Work Program for PWRDs, ECP’s primary stakeholder,” said Banawis.

For the past 43 years, the ECC has been providing support and assistance to all Filipino workers who suffered from work-related sickness, injury or death. As of date, the ECC has already granted almost P39 billion worth of benefits to more than six million claims.

From January to September 2018 alone, the ECC paid P898 million for 183,199 EC claims in the private sector and P158.92 million for payment of 29,341 EC claims in the public sector.

Based on the actuarial valuation by SSS and GSIS, workers in the private sector are assured of their benefits under the EC Program until beyond 2080 while the fund life of the EC SIF at the GSIS is until 2059.

“As we celebrate ECC’s 44 years in the government service, we ensure the public that we will continue to implement effective long-term financial plans to secure the stability of State Insurance Fund (SIF) and execute projects that will enhance the EC Program for the betterment of persons with work-related disabilities (PWRDs),” Banawis added.