The Employees’ Compensation Commission inked an agreement with Divine Word Hospital in Tacloban City in order to provide assistance to occupationally-disabled workers in Region 8.

Starting May 5 of this year, the Divine Word Hospital provides physical and occupational therapy sessionsto ODWs under the Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang May Kapansanan (KaGabay) Program.

KaGabay is one of the programs of ECC under the rehabilitation services that provides rehabilitation assistance for ODWs who got injured due to work-related sickness or injury.

KaGabay program offers two services: physical restoration which refers to the provision of free physical or occupational therapy services to ODWs; and skills training for re-employment and entrepreneurship so that the ODW can acquire new skills but subject to the ODWs potentials and residual functional capacity.

Chair of the ECC Board and Secretary of Labor and Employment Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz explained that it is important that ODWs regain their confidence and get back to the economic mainstream to support their family.

“KaGabay Program plays a significant role in restoring ODWs motor skills.We make sure that ODWs from different regions will have easy access to physical and occupational therapies they need so that they can be an active member of our workforce once again,” Baldoz stated.

ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis said that the ECC continuously networks to different hospitals all over the country for partnership in providing rehabilitation services to ODWS.