The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), headed by Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis and Deputy Executive Director Atty. Jonathan Villasoto led the ceremonial signing of Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) headed by Jail Director Deogracias Tapayan and Legal Services Chief Atty. Michael Angelo Caceres on 15 October 2018 at the BJMP Headquarters in Quezon City.

The MOA aims to further strengthen and boost the awareness of BJMP personnel across the country of their rights, benefits and privileges under the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) and explore other possible areas of collaboration between the two agencies.

The ECC in its primary thrust to provide compensation to workers who suffered from work-related contingencies, has been formulating new policies to enhance EC benefits and facilitate its provision to our uniformed personnel in the course of their service.

In her speech, Banawis expressed her sincere appreciation to the management of the BJMP in formalizing its partnership with the ECC.

“It has always been one of our aspirations to partner with institutions like the BJMP in ensuring that workers both from the civilian and government sectors are informed of the ECP. It is with high hopes that this partnership will gear towards promoting and institutionalizing the EC Program in the BJMP,” said Banawis.

According to Banawis, since the separation of the military and other uniformed personnel from the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS), the ECC have been receiving a lot of queries about their membership status to the ECP.

“A lot of our uniformed personnel thought that they are no longer covered by the ECP since their separation to the GSIS, thus, forfeiting their rights and benefits under the program. We would like to clear that even if uniformed personnel are no longer connected with the GSIS, they are all still covered by the ECP,” Banawis added.

Aside from conducting seminars on ECP in all regions of the country, the MOA also intends to provide necessary assistance to uniformed personnel and/or their beneficiaries in the completion of all documentary requirements needed for the filing of EC claims and placement of IEC materials to all BJMP offices.

“We are grateful to the ECC for initiating this partnership and for making sure that all our personnel are informed of the ECP. Rest assured that the BJMP will provide all necessary support to make this partnership a success,” said Jail Director Tapayan.

 

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