Seminar on Employees Compensation Program conducted

THE Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will hold a whole day advocacy seminar on the Employees' Compensation program.

They are expecting 120 participants on a first-come-first-serve basis attending the advocacy seminar which is free of charge and will start from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The seminar will be spearheaded by Ma. Cecilia Maulion, Information and Public Assistance Division Chief, Dr. Sarah Antonia Concepcion, Medical Officer IV and Alicia S. Borres, Information officer III.

The ECC’s main functions are to formulate policies and guidelines for the effective implementation of the employees' compensation program, to review and decide on EC claims denied by the SSS and GSIS and to initiate policies and programs towards adequate occupational health and safety and accident prevention in the work environment.

"Not all workers and employees are aware of our program. This is the reason why we will hold this advocacy seminar in order to inform the workers that there is a program for work related contingencies," she explained.

ECC is an attached agency under Dole chaired by Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz.

They have offices in the cities of Baguio, General Santos, Zamboanga, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro, but hoping to have one in Iloilo City within the year.

The EC program has three components - the preventive aspect, the compensatory and the rehabilitation service.

They cited that the family of former Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo can file a claim before GSIS to avail of the Employees' Compensation program.

With regards to the determination of payment and benefits, the GSIS or the SSS are in charge of it.

The government worker can avail of P10,000 for burial and P3,000 for those who are privately employed. But they will have a monthly pension for the surviving spouse and children who are of minor age.

She added that those covered by the EC program are those with employee-employer relationship, except for the voluntary members of the SSS or informal sector workers. (Carla N. Canet)