Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz recently said that the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) under the Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (ECC-KaGabay) Program  granted twenty one workers with work-connected disabilities with P1,437,500.00 worth of artificial prosthesis   to facilitate their integration into the economic mainstream.

Citing the report of Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis, the labor and employment chief said that one of the KaGabay grantees is Dorendo Banting, 35 years old and a resident of Mapulang Lupa, Valenzuela City. Banting was working as a machine operator  in a carton manufacturing company in Valenzuela City  for 7 years. On December 20, 2012,  while doing his normal routine,   his hand was stuck in a printing press  resulting to his partial  hand amputation.  The ECC granted him high definition partial hand costing P70,000.  Fortunately, Banting was able to continue his work in the said company despite his artificial hand  but this time around he was assigned as assistant to printer slaughter. According to Banting, he is grateful to the ECC for his free physical therapy and his right hand prosthesis as he was able to continue his work.

Another grantee is Ronnel Miguel Tolentino, 26 years old, an office worker and a resident of Malabon City.  He was granted above-knee prosthesis worth P62,000 by the ECC on October 18, 2013.  He said he cannot thank the ECC enough  as  his employer gave him the assurance of continued employment  when  he is already capable of doing his usual tasks. Tolentino expressed his wish for ECC to help him undergo computer programming training to enhance his capabilities as an office worker.

Baldoz added that the ECC-KaGabay Program is a special economic assistance for persons   who  are victims of  work-related injury or occupational diseases..

“Its objectives are to facilitate integration of persons with work-related disabilities into the economic mainstream through physical restoration, training for re-employment or entrepreneurship to provide them with equal access to livelihood opportunities”,   Baldoz finally said.