Jonathan Tapan  was one of the beneficiaries of the Employees’ Compensation Commission’s (ECC) Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program.  He underwent a training on how to start a refilling station business at Negoskwela and at the UP-Public Health in Manila through the ECC-KaGabay Program.  He is now the owner of Aquanature Refilling Station in  Antipolo City.

 

Tapan tumbled and fell down to the floor when a cargo ship’s rope accidentally hit him while he was performing his regular duties as a cargo ship’s quartermaster.  He was treated  in a clinic in Brazil but it did not ease his pain.  After three months,  he was  repatriated to the Philippines and subsequently, he  underwent laminectomy and spinal fusion at the Infant Jesus Hospital in Laong Laan, Manila.

 

Due to his disability, Tapan  could no longer return to his work as a seaman.  He  applied for SSS and EC disability benefits at the SSS  for which he was granted eight months of permanent partial disability benefits amounting to P120,000.00. Later, he received a letter from the ECC inviting him  to enrol in  the KaGabay Program.The ECC through its KaGabay Program granted him six sessions of physical therapy at the Philippine General Hospital.  He then underwent   electromyography (EMG), a test conducted to determine the electrical activity of muscles, also for free.

 Upon learning  about the  special economic assistance of the ECC,  he decided to turn his deficiency into opportunity.  He  availed  of an entrepreneurial training at Negoskwela  on “How to Start a Refilling Station Business” under  the ECC-KaGabay Program. He then  decided to start his company and be his own boss.  With P120,000 seed capital that came from  his EC and SSS disability pension, he put up the Aquanature Refilling Station  located  in Bagong Nayon, Cogeo, Marcos Highway, Antipolo City.

The ECC-KaGabay Program is a special economic assistance program initiated by the ECC for occupationally-disabled workers (ODWs) who lost employment by reason of work-related sickness or injury.  The  KaGabay program provides  for  physical restoration  which aims to restore the physical and functional capacity of the ODWs through physical and occupational therapy,  skills training for possible re-employment and entrepreneurship training for small or home-based business.