The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), via its Regional Extension Unit in Central Luzon, kicked off 2025 by presenting free prostheses to three persons with work-related disabilities (PWRDs) in the region.
PWRDs John Carlo Reyes, Junwil Carmelo, and Fernando Alcibar celebrated the arrival of the new year with their respective prostheses for body parts amputated due to work-related incidents as part of the ECC’s rehabilitation program, known as the Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program.
Reyes, who lives in Bulacan, was fitted with a cosmetic prosthetic ring finger following the loss of his left ring finger due to a work accident in 2023. In addition to the prosthesis, the ECC provided him with 24 complimentary physical and occupational therapy sessions at JBM Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre, its partner hospital in Bulacan. He was also granted Php 20,000 worth of groceries to help him start a sari-sari store.
The planning expeditor expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the ECC for their support, which helped him and his family reduce the challenges posed by his disability. He thanked them for not only giving him the chance to start a business but also for enhancing his self-esteem with the prosthesis. “Lubos po [akong] nagpapasalamat sa ECC dahil po sa mga naitulong nila sa akin at sa aking pamilya. Salamat din po sa binigay ninyong prosthesis sa akin. Nagustuhan ko ng sobra. Maraming, maraming salamat po sa inyong lahat. Sana po ay maraming pa kayong matulungan. Maraming salamat po,” he stated.
Junwil Carmelo from Tarlac, a former armored truck driver whose legs were both amputated following a vehicular accident in May 2014, received a new set of below-knee prostheses. “Nang dahil sa ECC tuloy-tuloy po ang takbo ng buhay ng aking anak,” said Nanay Wilma, Carmelo’s mother. The Tarlac native was additionally given livelihood assistance, free physical therapy, and disability benefits from the ECC. Through a sponsored course in computer hardware maintenance and CCTV operation training from ECC partner institutions, he was able to acquire a new skill that would help him when he returned to work.
Fernando Alcibar, another recipient of ECC’s assistive devices, expressed appreciation for the above-the-knee prosthesis he received. A work-related accident in 1999 resulted in the amputation of his right knee. The Tarlac resident, a former operator, was also awarded EC disability benefits and Php 20,000 in livelihood assistance, which he used to open his sari-sari store business.
Dedicated to supporting individuals with work-related disabilities in easing their vulnerabilities and restoring their self-esteem through active participation in the economy via livelihood assistance and assistive devices, the ECC continues to enhance its service delivery to adequately meet the needs of PWRDs. With the arrival of 2025, new opportunities await the Commission to serve the Filipino people, especially workers.
Danica Lacson, Information Officer – REU 3