The Employees’ Compensation Commission, through its Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan Program (KaGabay), recently extended aid to two occupationally disabled workers, equipping them with the necessary livelihood tools for their integration into the economic mainstream, making them productive members of the community, even more productive than their pre- work related injuries or sicknesses.

 

Alejandro Padriquel, a pastor and a former employee of Southern Mindanao Mission in General Santos City, met a vehicular accident while on his way to an assigned chapel. After knowledge of the incident, the ECC Quick Response Team in Region 12, immediately assisted him and facilitated his claim for EC benefits. He was granted an EC disability benefit. In addition, he also availed of the free physical therapy sessions from the ECC partner hospital under the KaGabay Program.

 

Padriquel was also able to take advantage of ECC training grant at Marbel School of Science & Technology for bread and pastry making, which will commence this month of July.

 

Meanwhile, Richard Victoriano, a maintenance worker for a mall in Marbel, South Cotabato, suffered an accident while cleaning a machine inside the mall. It resulted to the amputation of his right arm. ECC-QRP urgently coordinated with the company’s human resource officer for the needed documents in filing an EC claim. Victoriano was also able to avail of the physical therapy services through a KaGabay-partner hospital.  With the intervention of the ECC, he is now back working for the same company.

 

Both ODWs were also granted, on top of the above mentioned benefits, transportation and meal allowance reimbursements, to make the therapy sessions and livelihood trainings more convenient and expense-free. During one of the visits of ECC to both ODWs, they quipped that “ hindi hadlang ang kapansanan sa magandang buhay”, a testament to ECC’s tagline and mandate.