THE Employee's Compensation Commission (ECC) increased the funeral services benefits of workers in private and public sector from P20,000 to P30,000 and carer's allowance from P575 to P1,000 monthly for lifetime.

The increase is part of the wise spending strategy of the Commission’s P64-billion total fund as of 2017.

During the Connect press conference at the SM Lanang Premier on Friday, September 14, Albert Bantan, information officer of the ECC Unit 11, said that the increase was based on the Executive Order (EO) No. 33 for funeral services benefits and EO No. 54 for carer' allowance, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

"We have difficulty in spending because meron na tayong P65 billion as of last year's count," Bantan said, adding that it was because of ECC’s effective spending of the fund.

Bantan said that carer's allowance is a supplemental pension for those who suffered from permanent partial and permanent total disabilities.

In the case of injury, sickness, or death, the employee or his dependents should notify the employer within five days from the accident and claims may be filed by the beneficiary or his/her legal claimants at the SSS or GSIS.

"No matter how cautious the worker may be, anyone may get sick because of the hazard that we are exposed to," Bantan said.

He also said that ECC has the mission to help compensate the employer for work-related accidents and that the public should know that these programs exist.