A place of intense conflict and struggle is how one should describe a battlefield where chaos, violence, and destruction are often manifested.

On one unfortunate day in April 2023, a military encounter with an unidentified group occurred in Northern Samar. Jungie B. Causing, a 32-year-old resident of Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, was a member of the Philippine Army. He was wounded in action and sustained multiple shrapnel injuries during an explosion, which ultimately led to the amputation of his leg.

Causing learned about the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) from other injured soldiers who informed him that he might be eligible for the EC Quick Response Program (QRP) cash assistance. When he visited the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) office in Makati, he found out about the additional benefits he could receive from the EC program on top of the P29,000 EC sickness benefits he received from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

After his recovery, Causing went home to Sultan Kudarat and reached out to the ECC-Regional Extension Unit (REU) 12 office in General Santos City in February 2024 to claim his cash assistance of P10,000.

In the same month, he participated in a livelihood seminar on “how to start a business, entrepreneurial mind setting, and financial literacy,” which was organized in partnership with DTI Negosyo Center to fully prepare him in starting his microenterprise. In April 2024, he was granted a livelihood starter kit worth P20,000 which he used to purchase five piglets for his hog-raising business. If the livelihood is sustained for a period of at least one year, with regular monitoring from ECC, he will be eligible to receive a complementary kit worth P10,000 as additional capital for his business.

Currently, Causing is receiving free physical therapy sessions provided by ECC through the Dr. Arturo P. Pingoy Medical Center, ECC’s partner hospital in Koronadal City. He has already received travel and meal allowance worth P7,000 for two consultations and 12 physical therapy sessions that he has attended.

Causing received a Lofstrand crutch to assist him in his daily tasks and will soon be given an above-knee prosthesis for his amputated right leg.

“Maraming salamat po sa benefits ng ECC kagaya ng livelihood assistance na siyang nagbigay sa akin ng paunang puhunan para sa mga baboy na binili ko at siya ring dahilan ng pagkakaroon ko ng pagkakaabalahan araw-araw upang malibang ang sarili ko. At gayon din po sa libreng therapy na binigay sa akin ng ECC dahil ako ay hindi na muna napunta ng malayong lugar kagaya ng Maynila na siya ring dahilan upang mapalayo ako sa aking pamilya at mapagastos nang malaki. Maraming salamat po,” Causing said.

“It is of great significance that ECC should fully assist and support Filipino workers who meet work-connected contingencies by giving packages of benefits, especially to our soldiers who demonstrate remarkable resilience and determination in the name of peace for our country,” ECC Executive Director Kaima Via Velasquez said.

 

K. Daga – REU 12