Davao City – The Employees’ Compensation Commission and the Philippine National Police 11 concluded on 02 September 2019 a Memorandum of Agreement at Police Regional Office 11 Grandstand, Camp Sgt. Quintin M. Merecido, Buhangin, Davao City, to protect police personnel against hazards of work or work-related contingencies.

ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis and PNP 11 Regional Director PBGen Marcelo C. Morales jointly headed the signing of the MOA which seeks to forge an optimum collaboration by both parties in ensuring the welfare and provide social protection to all police personnel in the region.

Director Banawis highlighted during her speech that despite the long existence of the EC Program, quite a number of men and women in uniform remain unaware of their coverage and benefits under the EC program. “Full awareness on EC Programs by all police personnel is the primary reason of this MOA’s execution,” she added.

“Hopefully, this MOA can address the lack of awareness on the ECP by PNP personnel and bridge the gap between ECC, as the provider of ECP benefits and services, and the PNP personnel as the recipients or those known as wounded-in-police-operations (WIPO) and their families for those killed-in-police-operations (KIPO),” Banawis mused.

The EC Program provides a package of benefits such as immediate cash assistance for the WIPO or to their families for those KIPO, disability benefits, medical reimbursement, death benefits and a program known as Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KaGabay) where rehabilitation services and livelihood assistance may be availed of.

PBGen Morales extended his appreciation over the helpful interventions of the EC Program for the families of fallen men and women in the police force. “The fast recovery of the bereaved families from the grief over the untimely loss of their loved ones can also be attributed to the immediate assistance extended by the Government like those of ECC,” he remarked.

In Region 11, the ECC had been instrumental in providing relief to the grieving families of police officers who were killed when their station in Matan-ao, Davao del Sur was strafed by the alleged members of the New People’s Army in 2014. The same holds true when terrorists ambushed a team of investigators in Bansalan, Davao del Sur in 2017 resulting to the untimely death of several police officers.

“The EC Program has made a great contribution in alleviating the sorrow of my family when my husband died during the NPA attack. It helped us move on from that tragedy,” said Alicia Bo-oc, the surviving spouse of late Police Staff Sargeant Manolo.

The ECC’s partnership with PNP 11 is in consonance with the mandate of the current administration through the Comprehensive Social Benefits Programs to harmonize the various benefits and assistance to members of the AFP and PNP who were wounded or killed in military or police operations in honor of the gallantry of soldiers and policemen in putting their lives in the performance of their sworn duties.