The Employees’ Compensation Commission through its ECC-Quick Response Team responded to the families of the construction workers who were killed when a warehouse wall collapsed last Monday in Guiguinto, Bulacan.

According to the police report, around 3:30 in the afternoon, the victims were taking a break from work in their barracks when the wall collapsed and pinned down the workers and the other victims to death.

Eleven were killed and four were injured by the unfortunate event. Thirteen were workers of Hoclimco Construction Corporation while the other two was a pregnant woman and a 7 year old kid.

The ECC-QRT immediately proceeded to the residences of the victims to provide assistance to their families. It turned out that their employers failed to register them in SSS.

Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis stated that under article 196 (b) of the Presidential Decree 626, as amended, the said victims can still receive benefits from ECP despite the failure of employer to register his employees.

“The requisites to qualify for the ECP benefits are (1) there must be an employer-employee relationship between the victim and the employer; and (2) the incident must be work-related. SSS membership is not the basis to be granted ECP benefits. Under PD 626, as amended, employer shall be liable to SSS for the lump sum equivalent to the benefits to which the employee or his dependents may be entitled to,” added Banawis.

In the present situation, majority of the victims are employees of Hoclimco. The misfortune is work-related because the victims were in the workplace when the wall collapsed.

Banawis assured the victims and their families that the ECC will do everything possible to assist them in filing their claims.