SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) — Staying true to its mission of providing hope to injured Filipino workers, the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) has helped two workers from the Ilocos Region rebuild their lives after work-related, life-altering accidents.
On Jan. 17, the ECC awarded financial aid, livelihood support, and prosthetic devices to the beneficiaries during a ceremony at the ECC Regional Extension Unit 1 in this city.
This initiative allows the workers to regain their confidence to continue with their lives and give them a chance to provide for their families.
ECC Executive Director Atty. Kaima Via Velasquez emphasized the agency’s dedication to assisting persons with work-related disabilities (PWRDs).
“These awards mark another chapter in the ECC’s commitment to providing comprehensive support for persons with work-related disabilities,” Velasquez said, highlighting the responsibility of the agency in support for PWRDs.
Velasquez further said that the commission’s assistance packages—including sickness benefits, livelihood support, and prosthetic devices—are aimed at empowering workers to regain self-sufficiency and reintegrate into their communities after experiencing traumatic accidents.
Beneficiaries and their assistance
One of the beneficiaries, Plamar Valbuena, a lineman from Bangui, Ilocos Norte, was electrocuted on Sept. 20, 2023, while working for an electric cooperative. He lost his left arm and foot due to the incident.
Thanks to ECC’s support, Plamar received:
- Prosthetic devices worth P165,000;
- Employees’ compensation sickness benefits amounting to P43,200; and
- A livelihood starter kit valued at P20,000.
Another beneficiary, Ed Macanlalay, a 38-year-old bus conductor from Calasiao, Pangasinan, lost his right hand in an accident on Aug. 5, 2023.
To aid him in his recovery and reintegration, ECC provided him with:
- A prosthetic device worth P85,000,
- Employees’ compensation sickness benefits of P16,020,
- A livelihood assistance package worth P20,000 to start a sari-sari store, and
- Cash assistance amounting to P10,000.
To date, five workers in the Ilocos Region have received prosthetic devices through ECC’s assistance programs since 2022.
Eligibility for employee compensation
To qualify for the employee compensation, the injury or illness must have been acquired or aggravated in the course of employment.
Private-sector workers, including sea-based Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and Kasambahays, must be compulsory members of the Social Security System (SSS).
Government employees who are covered by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Employees’ compensation claims must be filed within three years of the sickness, injury, or death. Claims are filed with the nearest offices of GSIS for the government, or SSS for private-sector workers.
Denied claims can be reconsidered and appealed to the ECC.
Apart from the mentioned interventions or assistance, the ECC also offers additional programs, including:
- ECC-QRP (Quick Response Team Program) that provides counseling, information, claims assistance, and benefit facilitation to ECC members and their families dealing with work-related contingencies.
- KaGabay Program, offering economic assistance to PWRDs with approved EC disability benefits, including physical restoration, skills training, and entrepreneurial training.
Provision of continuing assistance
ECC-Regional Extension Unit 1 Information Officer Dexter Dupagan emphasized the agency’s commitment to helping workers reintegrate into society.
“We are beyond willing to accept them and mostly help their reintegration,” he added.
For those in need of assistance, the ECC Region 1 office can be reached at (072) 607-7096 or [email protected], and updates are available on their Facebook page, ECC Regional Extension Unit 1.
The ECC’s ongoing initiatives reflect its dedication to empowering PWRDs, reinforcing the value of every Filipino worker. (CCMT/REB, PIA Region 1)
