“It was one of the most fruitful and informative seminars I have attended this year,” said one of the advocacy seminar attendees.

Fruitful and informative, indeed. The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) held a successful Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) Advocacy Seminar on April 3 and 4, 2024, at the Carlito’s Hotel and Restaurant in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat.

During the two-day advocacy seminar, participants were educated on ECC’s mandates under PD 626 and promoted its package of benefits under the ECP to barangay officials, uniformed personnel, government sector representatives, company HRs, clinic and hospital representatives, students and administrators from technical and vocational institutions (TVIs) in Sultan Kudarat. Representatives from the Social Security System (SSS), one of ECC’s administering agencies, were also present at the event. The advocacy seminar had a total of 281 participants.

During the first day of the program, Municipal Administrator Andrew K. Pallasigue welcomed the attendees and expressed his gratitude for their active involvement in the seminar. He also encouraged everyone to work hand-in-hand in promoting government services to Filipinos in their respective jobs and offices.

The Department of Labor and Employment 12 (DOLE-12) OIC-Assistant Regional Director Fatima Quorayce Bataga warmly welcomed the participants on the second day of the seminar, which was attended by representatives from private companies and hospitals, as well as students and administrators from TVIs. She also underlined that everyone’s attendance showed their commitment to the welfare of their employees.

Information and Public Assistance Division Chief Ma. Cecilia E. Maulion led the ECC team in presenting an overview of ECC and detailing the benefits and services of the EC Program. Additionally, ECC Administrative Officer Exequiel K. Salcedo III introduced the Return-to-Work Assistance Program (RTWAP), which is scheduled for launch in region 12 later this year.

“I would like to thank DOLE-ECC for reaching out [to] the Municipality of Lambayong and inviting the private sectors, employers, and employees in our place to attend the ECP Advocacy seminar. I’m happy that our participants learned what ECC and EC Program are, and who are those qualified beneficiaries to claim the benefits. It will have a great impact on the workers that there is another agency to help workers in times of need and also to the employers, they will know what their responsibilities are to their workers. Again, thank you so much DOLE-ECC hoping there will be another round of seminars like this in the future,” said PESO Manager Dion Irving Timbang of LGU Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat who was also in attendance.

Isulan is the first-ever municipality in Sultan Kudarat where the ECC conducted an ECP Advocacy Seminar.

The last advocacy seminar conducted by ECC in Region 12 was in 2019, in Kidapawan City.

 

K. Daga – REU 12