ECC holds employment compensation program awareness for PNP personnel

ANGELES CITY -- Some 30 police officers stationed from different precincts in Angeles City were recently oriented on the Employees Compensation Program (ECP) by Employees Compensation Commission (ECC).

The ECC, an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through its regional extension unit here, facilitated the orientation at the Angeles City PNP Headquarters.

DOLE Regional Director lawyer Ana Dione said that the ECP, the ECC’s flagship program, aims to assist workers who suffer work-related sickness or injury resulting to disability or death.

“This year, we continue to strengthen in raising awareness of the ECP in order to further stretch the arms of social protection benefit schemes for various workers here in the region that cuts across industries, including those working for government,” Dione said.

ECC Regional Extension Unit’s regional information officer Alvin Garcia, who provided an overview of the Employees Compensation Program, told attending PNP personnel that the ECP covers uniformed personnel.

“Under Republic Act No. 8291, otherwise known as “the GSIS Law,” it is unfortunate that the AFP and PNP personnel are not covered by the GSIS. However, we are pleased to inform you, that being “front-liners” of the PNP, you are covered by the ECP as mandated by Presidential Decree No. 626, otherwise known as the “Labor Code of the Philippines,” as amended. The GSIS, for its part, is mandated to collect and process Employees Compensation (EC) contributions and claims,” Garcia explained.

“Thus, in the event of work-related sickness, injury, or even death on tour of duty, covered uniformed personnel, and/or their immediate beneficiaries, may file an EC claim at any GSIS branch nearest to their places of work or residence,” he added.

The EC benefits available for uniformed personnel include loss of income, medical benefits, and rehabilitation services such as physical restoration, skills training for re-employment and entrepreneurship under its KaGabay Program.

The ECP awareness orientation to uniformed personnel in Angeles City has never been done before and will be truly helpful to them says Angeles City PNP Director PSSUPT Enrico Vargas.

“This is the first time we heard about this program because not all of us are fully aware of it until now thanks to the DOLE ECC. Because our lives are always at risk due to the nature of our job in serving and protecting our community, a program like this is of great importance to all of us, everyone must be informed of ECC’s EC Program,” Vargas said.

The police officers oriented were also urged to become partners and advocates of ECP by sharing the information to their clients, families, friends, and fellow workers.

A few years ago, the ECP was also oriented to the PNP officials and personnel of the Pampanga Provincial Police Office in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga. (PR)