The ECC | The ECP | SIF | Claims | Case Updates | PD626 | Amended Rules | Press Releases| Facts & Figures | Directory

ECC's Convergent Project with DOLE Regional Offices

SEMINAR-WORKSHOP
on

"Improving Compliance with the Law and Rules of Procedure on Disposition of EC Claims"
"The Employees' Compensation Program and the Occupational Safety & Health"
"Occupational Rehabilitation Thru Physical Restoration and Employment of ODWs"

          The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) is scheduled to hold its second Convergent Program with DOLE Regional Offices at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City on November 20, 2008 in a bid to promote regional awareness among stakeholders on the various programs of the ECC, specifically, the Work Contingency Prevention Program, the Employees’ Compensation Program, the ECC-Quick Response Team Project, the KaGaBay Program (Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan) and the EC Claims Disposition Program. This is in line with Secretary Marianito D. Roque’s call to strengthen linkages amongst attached agencies and bureaus with DOLE regional offices for a harmonious, convergent implementation of DOLE programs and projects.

The one-day seminar-workshop has three simultaneous technical sessions (modules) with different topic areas and target participants. Resource persons shall discuss topics based on their expertise and shall facilitate the workshops.

 The first technical session is on “Improving Compliance with the Law and Rules of Procedure on Disposition of Employees’ Compensation Claims”. Coverage of this module includes an overview of the existing law and rules of procedure on disposition of EC claims, updates on recent Supreme Court decisions on EC claims, updates on the latest ECC decided appealed cases and common issues and problems encountered by the ECC in the disposition of elevated cases from the SSS and the GSIS. Lectures which will be provided by experts are on the contribution of taking alcohol and smoking on lung and cardiovascular diseases which will help enlighten doctors and lawyers in the disposition of EC claims. The session will be capped by the drafting of an action plan for implementation by participants in their respective offices and the signing a memorandum of understanding between the ECC and the participants composed of evaluators, processors, senior and junior physicians, managers, cluster heads and legal officers of the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System based in Regions 7 and 11.

The second technical session is designed for human resource managers and labor union representatives of various companies in Davao and Cebu cities. The morning session will be on the “Employees’ Compensation Program” and the afternoon session will cover “Occupational Safety and Health”. The EC program covers work-connected disability and death arising from occupational diseases and work injuries, benefits and services provided and procedures in availing ECP benefits at the SSS and the GSIS, prescriptive period of EC claims, and the State Insurance Fund. The session on Occupational Safety and Health promotes safety consciousness and the importance of adherence to OSH standards to prevent or at least minimize the occurrence of work accidents and work-connected illnesses.

The third technical session pertains to occupational rehabilitation and physical restoration. Topic areas include an overview on occupational rehabilitation, the importance of physical and occupational rehabilitation for occupationally-disabled workers, corporate social responsibility and the rehiring of ODWs, the ECC quick response team and the Kagabay Program. Testimonials of representatives of companies employing disabled workers as well as testimonials of employed ODWs are included. A workshop on best practices in occupational rehabilitation will be conducted for this session which will be participated by human resource officers/claims officers of various companies and occupationally-disabled workers based in Davao City and Cebu City and nearby provinces.  An action plan for implementation by participants will be crafted including a memorandum of commitment to ECP implementation, OSH and job assistance to ODWs will be signed by the parties.

The one-day activity aims to clarify, verify and facilitate processing procedures of the EC program, disseminate information on the EC program, and push for advocacy of a safe workplace through observance of occupations-safety and health standards and the rehiring/self-employment of occupational disabled workers. About 200 participants each for Davao and Cebu are expected to attend.

 .............................