DIRECTING SSS TO FACILITATE THE PROCESSING OF EMPLOYEES’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS OF VICTIMS IN THE NCCC MALL FIRE INCIDENT IN DAVAO CITY
WHEREAS, the primary purpose of P.D. No. 626, as amended, is to provide meaningful protection to the ordinary workers and/or their families against the perils or hazards of disability or death due to work-connected incident;
WHEREAS, this Commission is saddened with the death of 38 workers of Research Now SSI and NCCC Mall due to the fire incident on December 23, 2017 at NCCC Mall Davao, McArthur Highway corner Maa, Davao City;
WHEREAS, this Commission extends its sympathy to the survivors and conveys its condolence to the bereaved families of the said workers;
WHEREAS, the Local Government of Davao City, has already confirmed the death of over 38 workers upon the manifestation of the Bureau of Fire Protection after assessment of the place of the incident;
WHEREAS, to hasten the grant of EC benefits to the workers who survived the said incident and/or to the families of workers who perished in the conflagration, this Commission finds the need to spare them from the submission of several documentary requirements in the processing of their benefits under P.D. No. 626, as amended;
WHEREAS, Article 177 (c) of P.D. No. 626, as amended, empowers this Commission “to approve rules and regulations governing the processing of claims;”
NOW THEREFORE,
This Commission RESOLVES as it hereby RESOLVED to direct the SSS to immediately process and release the corresponding EC benefits to the workers who survived in the said fire incident and to the families of the fatalities;
RESOLVED FURTHER, that the SSS shall be guided by the following in facilitating the processing of the EC benefits of the workers:
- The SSS shall be provided by the Secretariat with the Masterlist of Casualties of the NCCC Mall Fire Incident that will be issued by the City Government of Davao;
- The SSS Main Office shall disseminate the said Masterlist to the concerned SSS branch which has jurisdiction to process the EC benefits based on the addresses of the survivors/families of the victims whose names appear in the Masterlist.
- The Masterlist shall be considered as sufficient for the processing and release of payment of sickness/injury benefits and the initial payments of death benefits;
- The SSS shall formulate the necessary guidelines to carry out the abovementioned directives and the facilitative processing of all EC benefits for workers;
RESOLVED FINALLY, that this Resolution shall take effect immediately and a copy of this Resolution be furnished to the SSS for guidance and compliance.
DONE, this 12th day of January 2018, in Makati City, Philippines.
(SGD.) CIRIACO A. LAGUNZAD
Chairperson-Alternate
Department of Labor and Employment
(SGD.) JOSEFINA O. FORNILOS
Member-Designate
Social Security System
(SGD.) DIONISIO C. EBDANE, JR.
Member-Designate
Government Service Insurance System
(SGD.) CARLITO P. ROBLE
Member
Employees’ Sector
(SGD.) CELESTINA Ma. JUDE P. DELA SERNA
Member-Designate
Philippine Health Insurance Corporation
(SGD.) STELLA ZIPAGAN-BANAWIS
Member
Employees’ Compensation Commission – Secretariat