The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) has directed the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to hasten the processing and release of employees’ compensation (EC) claims of workers who contract diseases in line of their duty during outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.
ECC issued Board Resolution No. 20-03-07, urging the SSS and the GSIS, as the Commission’s administering agencies, to immediately process and release the EC benefits of workers who acquired diseases at work in times of outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics such as the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic that has affected millions of people worldwide.
ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis recognized the need for immediate provision of EC benefits to help workers and their families and minimize their vulnerability.
“We acknowledge the risks our workers face as they continue to provide much-needed services to the public in times of outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics. Workers may become ill as a result of their exposure during these times. It is ECC’s mandate to deliver prompt, effective, and efficient compensation package to our workers in the event of work-related contingencies, and so, we continue to make necessary adjustments to our policies and implement programs that will properly meet their needs during this period,†Banawis said.
Through Board Resolution No. 20-03-07, the SSS and GSIS are directed to speed up the grant of EC benefits of the workers who acquired diseases during this period by streamlining the required documents to the submission of the EC logbook, application form, medical diagnosis showing that the claimant was diagnosed as positive of the disease or having symptoms similar thereof (person under investigation) while on duty during the period of outbreak, and a certification from the employer proving that the worker is on duty during the period of outbreak. If necessary, SSS or the GSIS shall also conduct a field inspection to validate the qualified beneficiaries.
REU 3 – Danica Lacson