Davao City – Vito Catad, 34, a janitor of the Department of Labor and Employment XI, received from the Employees’ Compensation Commission a starter kits amounting to Twenty Thousand Pesos for an Aircondition Shop Business on 29 April 2019 at ECC Regional Extention Unit XI.

Mr. Catad’s qualification to be a beneficiary of the ECC’s Kagabay Program resulted from the road accident which happened to him on 21 June 2018 while on his way to work. Accordingly, the accident rendered him unable to work for almost five months as he suffered from a fractured leg.

Before this grant, Mr. Catad underwent a Free Physical Therapy at Mindanao Orthopedic Sports and Rehabilitation Center, Inc. which was facilitated by Franscheline Orvette Loayon, ECC Regional Administrative Officer. Moreover, he received a cash assistance of Php 10, 000, an EC disability Benefit and a free livelihood training which seeks to provide him appropriate means in effectively managing his business.

Mr. Catad, during the awarding, remarked that the livelihood package he received from the EC Programs would leverage his earning capacity. “These equipment will essentially increase my monthly income considering that the income I earn from this venture is in addition to the earning I make out of my current job.”, he added.

Year in and year out, various occupationally disabled workers have been receiving livelihood assistance from the Kagabay Programs of ECC to provide them the ability to sustain the family’s needs notwithstanding their inability to go back to work. Nevertheless, the Commission’s primary thrust has been the prevention of all work-connected mishaps that would befall to the workers. /Albert A. Bantan, InformationOfficer II, ECC DOLE XI