Saturnino Bisenio, 61 years old and a former miner in two different mining companies in Baguio City, was granted Employees’ Compensation benefits for his hearing loss in addition to medical reimbursement incurred by him as decided by the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC).

The grant of EC benefits was a modification of the decision of the Social Security System Baguio City Branch stating that there was no proof that his hearing loss was due to his employment as well as his working conditions in the mine site.

In modifying the decision, the ECC stressed that in determining whether a disease or injury is compensable, it is enough that there exists a reasonable causal correction between the employee’s job and the working conditions.  In the case of Bisenio, there was exposure to noise brought about by the machines and dynamite blasting in the mine site.