Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz recently announced that the employees’ compensation program covers uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) including the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Baldoz, chair of the Employees’ Compensation Commission Board, said that ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis has reported that the ECC received a lot of queries regarding the coverage of the uniformed members of the AFP, PNP, BFP and BJMP under the EC Program since they have their separate retirement and benefits system.

“The GSIS Law or Republic Act No. 8291 does not cover members of the AFP and the PNP. They are instead covered by a separate social insurance agency/service namely the AFP-Retirement and Separation Benefits System (RSBS), PNP-Police Retirement Benefit Service, BFP-Retirement and Benefits Administrative Service and BJMP-Retirement and Benefits Administration Service,” said Baldoz, citing Banawis report.

“These uniformed personnel are, however, covered by the ECC which is administered by the GSIS.  Thus, in the event of work-connected sickness, injury or death of the said covered employees,  they or their beneficiaries may  file an EC claim at any GSIS branch nearest to their places of work or residences,”  Baldoz added.

“The EC benefits available are loss of income benefits or sickness benefit, medical benefit, carer’s allowance and rehabilitation services such as, physical restoration, skills training for re-employment and entrepreneurship training under the ECC- KaGabay Program,” Baldoz finally said.