The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) gathered 172 officials and personnel from 65 barangays in Pampanga for an Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) seminar and a town hall meeting on March 8 at the Bendix Hotel in San Fernando City to reinforce current partnerships and build new collaboration for increased awareness activities and cooperation in delivering equitable and suitable aid to the Filipino workforce.

ECC OIC-Executive Director Jose Maria Batino, thanked the officials and personnel who supported and joined the agency’s first-ever town hall meeting. He also acknowledged the significance of the barangay, a vital political pillar of the government, in the development of the nation.

Director Batino called on the assistance of the barangay officials and staff in ECC’s advocacy efforts and commitment to serving our local communities.

“May you consider this forum as a beneficial platform for our barangays in Pampanga to gather together, share ideas, address common concerns regarding occupational safety and health, and suggest ways to strengthen the ECC’s program for aiding our people in the event of a work-related contingency. Let us seize this window of opportunity to expand and extend our barangay participation in order to obtain a better understanding of our communities’ needs and provide recommendations on how to improve our programs and services to fulfill the needs of our people,” ED Batino added.

The ECC, through its regional Information Officer, Danica Lacson, provided participants with information on the Employees Compensation Program (ECP), raising their awareness of the ECC’s roles in safeguarding Filipino workers and delivering relevant and responsive compensation in the event of a work-related contingency.

To strengthen their respective constituencies’ involvement in this endeavor and to empower their respective constituents, especially the workers, ECC and the barangay authorities and staff reviewed potential collaborations and ways to extend programs and services. Atty. Claire David-Lim, the punong barangay of Brgy. Jose Abad Santos in Guagua, Pampanga, pledged her support for ECC’s initiatives and programs in the province. As many of their people are unaware of their rights and privileges as employees, Atty. Lim recognized their responsibility as barangay officials to inform and empower them.

The ECC hopes to expand this effort, which started with the Pampanga town hall meeting, to other parts of the Philippines in order to engage local residents and collaborate with the core government institution.

 

D.Lacson – REU3