More and more workers from Eastern Visayas now know that they have benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Program in the event of work-related sickness, injury, or death, thanks to the relentless effort of Employees’ Compensation Commission-Regional Extension Unit No. 8 (ECC-REU8).

“We are strengthening our information campaign to reach out to more workers and let them know that they are protected from income loss in cases of work contingencies,” ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said.

The first stop of the series of seminars was held last 5 July 2016 in Catarman, Northern Samar and was participated in by 101 company representatives. The next day, the ECC team, together with the staff from Department of Labor and Employment North Samar Field Office (DOLE-NSFO), proceeded to Lavezares, Northern Samar to conduct an ECP lecture attended by 47 participants. While still in Northern Samar, the team conducted another round of lecture in Gamay which was attended by 41 participants.

As part of the Memorandum of Agreement on information dissemination between the ECC and the Philippine National Police (PNP), the ECC team conducted an ECP seminar, this time, with 29 police officer and non-uniformed personnel from PNP-Southern Leyte Police Office.

On 21 July 2016, public employment service officers from 21 different local government units participated in an ECP seminar held in Lao-ang, Northern Samar.

The last round of the series of seminars took place in Leyte as the ECC team discussed the benefits and services under the ECP to the 56 participants of Basic Occupational Safety and Health Training conducted by the Occupational Safety and Health Center, in coordination with the Department of Labor and Employment West Leyte Field Office.

Later that day, the ECC team once again the benefits and services under the ECP to the 29 employees’ union officers of the Philippine Phospate Corporation as part of its Workers’ Organization Development Program, spearheaded by DOLE-West Leyte Field Office.

During the ECP seminars, the participants were apprised with the different hazards present in the workplace and the various ways to eliminate or mitigate their effects. They were also informed of the different benefits and services under the ECP, should they become victims of work-related accident or sickness.

“The ECC is unwavering in its goal of achieving and heightened awareness on the ECP. Our REU staff are leaving no stones unturned in bringing the ECP closer to the awareness of workers and employers in their respective regions,” Executive Director Banawis said.

“However, we do emphasize that we are strongly advocating for safe and healthy workplaces and that prevention of workplace diseases and accidents will always be better than any amount of compensation,” she ended.

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Michele Basal, REU-8 Information Officer