The Employees’ Compensation Commission successfully celebrated this year’s Family Day last November 9 and 10 with the theme “Reliving Filipino family bonding tradition.”

The pandemic changes the way events are celebrated. Mass gathering are prohibited by the government in order to prevent spread of the COVID-19. Bonding activities with the family are halted. Employees have work-from-home arrangements especially for those who are susceptible to the disease. But despite these challenges, this doesn’t stop ECC to celebrate the Family Day. And this time, it is a virtual celebration.

Through the online platform, Zoom, all ECC employees from the Central Office and Regional Extension Units were able to join and enjoy the activities. The first day shows entries for Family Day Collage Contest and Video Making Contest which were enthusiastically made by every group. There were a total of 21 groups, consisting of seven from the central office and 14 from the regions. Every entry shows how rich the Filipino family tradition and culture which were influenced by the Spanish and American colonization.

Employees who were working at home at the regions or those who were online to ensure observance physical distancing protocols ecstatically participated the games such as Quiz Bee and Family Feud which continued until the second day of the celebration.

Judged by the ECC Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, auditors from Commission on Audit and the Officer-in-Charge of ECC’s Security Agency, entries of REU-10 and of Group 5 from the Central Office received the most awards and declared as the big winners of the family day collage and video contest.

ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said, “This kind of activity is good for our health and wellness. It’s a happy activity which is a respite from the apprehensions we may feel because of the new normal under the present pandemic. We are grateful to our Administrative Division for continuing to provide such activities and to all employees for gamely participating with everybody seeming to be very competitive. Indeed, we work hard but we also play hard during this occasion.”

The ECC has resumed its operation since June 1, 2020 with a skeletal staff and adopted an alternative work arrangements while observing the minimum health standards to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its staff and clients from COVID-19.

 

S. Obice – 10