Republic of the PhilippinesDEPARTMENT OF LASOR AND EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION COMMISSIONEeC Building, 355 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Oty of Makati

Tel. No. 899-4251· Fax. No. 897-7597· E-mail: ecc_malls@yahoo.com • Website: http://w_.ecc.gov.ph

JUNE 2012 GOOD NEWS

GOOD NEWS WHY GOOD NEWS

SOCIAL PROTECTION

ECCgives jobto dependentsofODWs

The Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC), anattached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment(DOLE), has recently provided employment to fourteendependents of occupationally-disabled workers (OOWs) underthe Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES).

The ECC gave special attention to the dependents of theODWs to fully help the primary beneficiaries of the Employees'Compensation Program. A person can be classified as an ODWwhen his illness or injury was considered work-related under theECProgram.

Out of the fourteen dependents of the ODWs, three hasbeen assigned as the DOLE-Calamba, another three has beenassigned with the Occupational Safety and Health Center, onestudent grantee has been working with the Trece MartiresProvincial Office of the DOLE Regional Office IV-A, one has beenwith the Office of the Vice Mayor of Angat, Bulacan and six withthe ECC.

Emelbert Tayoba, SPES grantee assigned at the ECC-Informahon and Public Assistance D,VISIon, sortsout documents for 5S + 2Spurposes.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz directed theECCto double or even triple the number of SPES grantees in CY2013 after bein informed b ECC Executive Director Stella Z.

R' J In Extens. Ir Units ECCReqion X, 3/F Gonzalo Go Bldg., Corrales Avenue Cogoyon de Oro CityECC CAR, Cabinet Hills, Boguio CityECCRegion VII, 2/F, GMC Plaza, MJ Cuenco Avenue corner ieqosi» St., Cebu City

ECCRegion IX, Right Wing, 3/F QNs Bldg., Veterans Avenue Ext. Tumogo, Zomboongo CityECC Reaiot: XII. 102 Aceool Buildino. Mobini Extension. Koronodol Citv

Banawis that the ECC Secretariat is strengthening its efforts toprovide more benefits to ODWs.

"I would like to commend the act of the ECCin hiring thedependents of our ODWs as it will turn them into productivecitizens and eventually learn the value of hard work," Baldozadded.

The hired ODW dependents between the ages 15 to 24reported for work on April 16, 2012 until May 31, 2012 and willreceive the prevailing minimum wage.

The SPES aims to develop the intellectual capacities ofchildren of poor families and harness their potentials for thecountry's well being. It specially helps poor but deservingstudents pursue their education by providing income or augmenttheir income through encouraging their employment duringsummer and Christmas vacations.

ECCissuespolicy forinjuriessustained bystay-in localworkers

The Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC),by virtue ofits mandate to formulate policies and guidelines for the effectiveimplementation of the Employees' Compensation Program,recently issued a policy regarding the compensability of death orinjuries sustained or incurred by local employees who arerequired by their employer to stay in quarters provided by thelatter.

The policy practically adopted the so-called "bunkhouse rule"cited by the Supreme Court in the case of Uy vs. Workmen'sCompensation Commission where the Court ruled that when theemployee is required to stay in the premises or in quartersfurnished by the employer, injuries sustained therein are in thecourse of employment regardless of the time of its occurrence.

The policy, however, provides exceptions to the general rule,such as when the injury was occasioned by the employee'sintoxication, wilful intent to injure or kill himself or another, ornotorious negligence as provided under PD No. 626, as amended.

With the issuance of the said policy, workers are virtuallyinsured by the Employees' Compensation Program wheneverthey are required to stay in the quarters provided by theiremployers subject, of course, to the limitations imposed by theEmployees' Compensation Law.

Series ofEmployees'CompensationProgramconducted

The ECC conducted 16 ECP seminars/lectures in June of2012 which benefited 1,136 HR managers, supervisors,administrative officers, finance officers and quality controlsupervisors in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Laguna, Davao City,Dumaguete City, Cagayan de Oro City, Zamboanga City and Cebu

Reoiono! Extensior: Units. ECCReqion X, 3/F Gonzalo Go Bldg., Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Ora CityECC CAR, Cabinet Hills, Baguio CityECCRegion VII, 2/F, GMC Plaza, MJ Cuenco Avenue corner Legaspi St., Cebu City

ECCRegion IX, Right Wing, 3/F QNs Bldg., Veterans Avenue., Ext. Tumoqa, Zambaanga CityECCReaion XII. 102 Aceaol Buildina. Mabini Extension Koronadal Citv

City.Included in this seminar was the 3rd ECC-DOLEAdvocacy

Program this CV 2012 in Region 11 at Marco Polo Hotel, DavaoCity on 28 June 2012, in a bid to promote regional awarenessamong stakeholders on the various programs of the ECC,specifically focusing on the three ECPcomponents - prevention,compensation, and rehabilitation services for occupationally-disabled workers (ODWs). This is in line with the call of SecretaryRosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz to strengthen linkages betweenattached agencies and DOLERegional offices for harmonious andsynchronized implementation of DOLEprograms and projects.

The one-day seminar started with a welcome remarks madeby DOLERegional Director [offrey M. Suyao who vowed to put upan ECCdesk in the Davao Regional Office. Director Suyao saidthat having an ECCrepresentative is very essential as he or shecan assists claimants in their EC application. In the openingremarks of OIC-Deputy Executive Director [onathan T. Villa so to,he emphasized among others, that the advocacy program was infulfillment of the ECC's mission to ensure that workers areinformed of their rights and privileges under the Employees'Compensation Program.

Topics discussed during the seminar included basic accidentprevention and occupational safety and health, the employees'compensation program, the KaGabay Program, the ECC-QuickResponse Team Program, and DOLE's various programs andprojects.

More than 150 participants attended the advocacy programcomprising of HR Managers, supervisors, administrative officers,safety officers, accountants, and finance officers of variouscompanies in the region.

A press conference was simultaneously conducted duringthe seminar where Director Suyao and OIC Villasoto acted asresource persons. Fourteen media practitioners attended the saidevent.

ECCOICDeputy Executive Director jonathan T. Vl/lasoto clarifies various issueson the Employees' Compensation Program as DOLEDavao Regional Directorjoffrey M. Suyao and some media practitioners listen during press conferenceat the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao Clan 28 une 2012.

Regional Extenston Units. ECCRegion X, 3/F Gonzolo Go Bldg., Corrales Avenue, Cagayan de Ora CityECC CAR, Cabinet Hills, Baguio CityECCRegion VII, 2/F, GMC Plaza, MJ Cuenco Avenue corner Legaspi St., Cebu City

ECCRegion IX, Right Wing, 3/F QNS Bldg., Veterans Avenue., Ext. Tumaga, Zamboanga CityECCReaion XII. 102 Aceoal Buildina. Mabini Extension. Koronadal Citv

Typhoonvictim's kingets ECbenefits

Marites Navarro, surviving spouse of a missing securityguard assigned at Bubunawan Hydropower Plant in Bukidnon,received ten thousand pesos as funeral benefits under the ECProgram. Aside from the said amount, the family of the deceasedwill receive a monthly death benefit pension for the securityguard's work-connected death as soon as he is declaredpresumptively dead by the proper authority.

According to the reports, the said hydropower plant wasone of the establishments badly hit by Typhoon Sendong whereinten workers died.

Under ECC Board Resolution 93-08-0068, dated 5 August1993, the provision on presumptive death provides that: "If oneis declared presumptively dead after he had been reportedmissing for sometime, payment of death benefits shall bereckoned from the date he was declared presumptively dead byproper authority, in accordance with law; except when thedeclaration of death specified another date, in such a case,payment of death benefits shall start from the latter date; and, inspite of the fact that the body of a missing person had not beenrecovered, and that no burial activities had been undertaken, thebeneficiaries shall still be entitled to funeral benefits, as providedfor under the law."

Prepared by: Noted by: Approved by:

r:S' '8ne c;I )JONATHAN GO CUNETAAVATIII

j;;L;k,;;;L10NChief Information andPublic Assistance Division

STEL8~N.BANAWISExecu tive Director

Rpqlonal htEn .or, Unit« ECCRpq10f' x, 1/F Gonzolo Go Bldg , Corrales Avenue, Cagoyon de Oro C,tyECCCAR, Cabinet Hills, Baguio CityECCRegion VII, 2/F, GMC Plaza, MJ Cuenca Avenue corner Legaspi St., Cebu City

ECCRegion IX, Right Wing, 3/F QN5 Bldg., Veterans Avenue., Ext. Turnoqo, Zamboanga CityECCReaion XII 102 Aceaal Buildina. Mabini Extension. Koronadal Citv