The Employees’ Compensation Commission and Armed Forces of the Philippines entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to institutionalize the Employees Compensation Program information dissemination campaign among civilian employees and uniformed personnel of the AFP on 15 June 2020 at the AFP Headquarters, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis and AFP Chief of Staff General Felimon Santos Jr led the ceremonial signing of the MOA. Present also at the event were ECC Deputy Executive Director Atty. Jonathan Villasoto, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Adriano Perez Jr, Major General Ernesto Torres, Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo, ECC Information and Public Assistance Division Chief Cecilia Maulion and Public Relations Officer IV Alvin Garcia.
In her message, Director Banawis expressed her sincere appreciation to the leadership of the AFP in formalizing its partnership with the ECC.
“I would like to express my gratitude to everyone involved in the fulfilment of this partnership. We have been working for quite sometime now in securing a MOA with AFP and I’m very happy that it’s happening today despite the crisis that we are facing. With this partnership, we are hopeful that a more organized information dissemination campaign will be done between our organizations,” said Banawis.
In addition to the EC benefits that can be applied at the GSIS, as the administering agency for the EC program, Banawis informed that in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to provide more social benefits to workers, ECC Chairman and DOLE Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III has approved in 2018 the provision of cash assistance to qualified workers including uniformed personnel who are wounded in action and to dependents and beneficiaries of those killed in action.
Since 2018, a total amount of over 17 million worth of cash assistance was granted to uniformed personnel who suffered from work related contingencies in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government and the AFP.
“We are thankful to the ECC for initiating this partnership. Makakaasa po kayo na kami ay makikipagtulungan sa inyong ahensya upang mapalaganap natin ang inyong programa at makapagbigay serbisyo tayo sa mga kasamahan natin sa trabaho,” said General Santos.
Under the Memorandum, ECC will be provided with the opportunity to conduct seminars/webinars on the EC program, execute other information dissemination drives in AFP units, offices and commands and facilitate the provision of EC services under the Quick Response Program and the Rehabilitation or Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) program for qualified AFP personnel or their beneficiaries.
Further, to better promote EC programs and services, a technical working group composed of representatives from both organizations shall develop other areas of collaboration and assess the partnership.
ECC is a government corporation attached to the Department of Labor and Employment that provides a package of benefits for public and private sector employees and their dependents in the event of work-connected contingencies such as sickness, injury, disability or death.
Want to know more about the Employees’ Compensation Program? Email ECC at info@ecc.gov.ph or call 8-896-7837 for free on-site seminars.
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