The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment has provided arm prosthesis to Michael Orola, an occupationally-disabled worker (ODW), who sustained work-related injury resulting to the loss of his arms.
The ECC aims to help ODWs rebuild their lives though the Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program. This special economic assistance program has three components, to wit: physical restoration, which aims to restore the physical and functional capacity of the ODWs through physical and occupational therapy, skills training or re-employment, and, entrepreneurial training for small home-based business.
Orola has worked as a lineman at the Batangas Electric Cooperative in Lipa City. While performing his duties as such, he met an accident which led to the amputation of his arms.
Due to such contingency, Orola was granted a total of P74, 757.93 income benefits and medical reimbursement and a monthly pension of P3, 460.53 under the EC Program.
In preparation for the placement of his artificial arm, the ECC also provided for Orola’s three sessions of physical therapy at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and electromyography-nerve conduction velocity test, a requirement preparatory to being fitted with artificial arm.
On February 29, 2012, Orola gave a courtesy call to ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis with his newly fitted artificial arm worth P90, 000.00.
With the assistance given to him by the ECC, Orola remains optimistic and still dreams to have a productive life. Considering that his family has a sari-sari store, he also expressed his desire to take-up Entrepreneurial Training on laundry/dishwashing/detergent & fabric conditioner. In addition to that, he also wants to avail of the opportunity to be trained on hog and goat raising. These trainings will be given to Orola under the ECC-KaGabay Program. Orola will also be provided with starter kit to help him on his laundry and hog raising business.