PWRDs from Zamboanga City thankful for ECC’s assistance

ZAMBOANGA CITY— “Maraming Salamat po sa ECC at kami ay inyong natulungan. Masaya po kami at mayroon palang ahensya ng gobyerno na gaya ninyo ang tumutulong sa kagaya naming naaksidente sa trabaho. Maraming salamat po.”

These are the words of gratitude from three persons with work-related disability (PWRDs) who just recently received prosthesis, as part of their benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP).

Raymund T. Noot, Eduardo P. Miñao, and Jaime L. Maghinay were all victims of unfortunate work-related accidents which caused their disabilities.

Aside from the monetary compensation they received under the ECP, the three PWRDs each received free physical therapy, meal, and transportation allowance while they were undergoing therapy sessions, and prosthesis under the Katulong at Gabay ng Mangagagawang May Kapansanan (KAGABAY) Program of the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC).

They will also be provided with starter kits for their livelihood assistance.

The three beneficiaries were very happy and thankful for the full support of the agency.

ECP provides a package of benefits and services to workers, both in private and public sectors; who were victims of work-related contingencies such as sickness, injury, disability or death.

END

Cerna Ahmad, ECC REU 9 Information Officer II

Worker from Baguio City granted ECC benefits after appealing denied claim

Ms. Lolita Belen has worked as a secretarial staff at a widely-recognized university in Baguio City for three years until she was hired by an electronics factory in 1982. During her stay with that company, she has held various positions until she ended her service in the year 2000.

Sometime in 1991, a staff of a university in Baguio City was preparing documents related to a scheduled audit of her department. While lifting about 12 to 15 kilograms of ledgers, she noted a cracking sound at her lower back followed by a shooting pain at both of her legs. As a result of that incident, she has experienced intermittent pain.

She has undergone various medical checkups and rehabilitations to ease her condition. She was diagnosed to be suffering from Beginning Radiculopathy, a condition where the spinal nerves are compressed or pinched due to various causes such as trauma. She was advised by her physician to undergo medication and physical therapy.

However, in May 1992, she was confined in the same hospital due to L5S1 radiculopathy where a section of her spine is severely affected causing pain and discomfort. Seven years later, she was admitted again but was diagnosed with Minimal Posterior Disc Bulge at the same area of her body.

Since her condition was affecting her work performance, she availed of the early retirement program of her company in the year 2000 at the age of forty. She was suffering from intermittent lower back pain associated with prolonged sitting or standing and the occasional leg and feet swelling. She also experienced shooting pain associated with numbness and weakness of her lower extremities.

She was able to claim for SSS sickness and disability benefits in those times that she was confined, however, her claim for EC benefits were denied by the SSS on the ground that she failed to file for EC claims within the 3 year prescriptive period. She has then filed for an appeal which reached to the level of the ECC main office in Makati City.

Upon careful review of her records by the Commission, her claim was granted because records show that she has filed for a claim in June 1992 as evidenced by Sickness Notification No 07385, which was well within the mandated three-year prescription.

According to the ECC’s Rules on Prescription provided under Board Resolution No. 10-03-45, the filing of disability or death benefits either under the Social Security System or Government Service Insurance System laws within three years from the time the cause of action accrued would stop the running of the prescriptive period of filing for EC benefits claim.

End

Dennis Garrett Lee, Information Officer II, ECC-CAR