CLOSE to P6.2 million burial claims and hospital expenses for the victims of the vehicular accident on April 23 in Suello Village were distributed to their relatives by the Passenger Accident Management Insurance (Pami).
The accident killed six people and injured 22 others.
Christopher Bong Nocum, operations manager of Pami, personally handed over the cash benefits to the victims’ families at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) Baguio office.
He said the assistance is under the new policy issued by the bureau to increase the burial benefits for individual deaths this year.
Three persons died on the spot when the accident happened. The fatalities were identified as Elizabeth Almoite Panes, 54, Richelda Almoite Abigar, 47, and Julia S. Labi.
The three other fatalities died while being treated at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BHGMC). They were identified as Adelina Agsaoay, 68, Josephine Ag-a, 59, and John Roy Passi, 6.
Based on the new policy mandated by LTFRB last December, all public utility vehicles ending in 1 or the succeeding year, the increase from P200,000 to P400,000 will be implemented under the Passenger Accident Insurance Program.
“The six individuals who died are entitled to receive P400,000 each with an additional P1,000 a day internment expenses for seven days, while the injured will be entitled to P100,000 for their hospital expenses with a P1,000 daily allowance for thirty days,” Nocum said.
Pami ordered the release of the funds for the victims after learning about the incident even without the necessary documents to assist the families and the victims.
“LTFRB chairman Martin Delgra III earlier strictly stated to immediately attend to the victims especially to the families of those who perished. We did not want to wait for the operator to still go to us to settle the claim before the families of the dead and injured would still have received their benefits, and under Pami’s motto, payment and assistance is the priority while necessary documents would follow,” Nocom added.
The insurance agency reiterated its objective to settle the distribution of benefit claims to the victims within three to five working days depending on the availability of the documents.