Davao City – The Employees’ Compensation Commission extended prostheses to four workers at the Department of Labor and Employment XI as part of its Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang may Kapansanan (KAGABAY) Program.
Ernesto Dumas, Jr., Renante Magape, Peter Darius Andoy and Nilo Veroy received prosthesis amounting to 75,000, 105,000, 50,000 and 75,000 respectively. Dumas and Veroy received Below-Knee prosthesis, while Magape and Andoy were respectively given Hand and Thumb prosthesis.
Under the KAGABAY Program of ECC, the grant of prostheses and other assistive devices seeks not only to physically restore the worker but also to regain the self-esteem which was necessarily lost after a worker became amputated due to accidents in the workplace.
Mr. Magape, a former machine operator of Everglory Metal Farming, Inc., expressed his gratitude after putting on his hand prosthesis. “This grant of prosthesis means a lot to us who are physically incomplete. It restores not only the physical aspect but most importantly it vests us anew the confidence which was lost after we suffer accidents.” he commented.
The four grantees were previously given 10,000 cash assistance, free physical therapy, skill & entrepreneurial trainings and a livelihood package worth 20,000 in pursuance with ECC’s effort to bring back the economic productivity of every worker falling victim of any work-related contingency.
In Davao Region, ECC has extended 14 prostheses, 77 cash assistance ranging 10,000-15,000, 37 physical therapy, and 42 skill or entrepreneurial trainings to victims of different work-related cases from 2018 up to now.
ECC Executive Director, Stella Zipagan-Banawis, emphasized that despite the various benefits available under the EC Programs the Commission is more committed to protecting workers from any accidents which may possibly transpire in their workplaces. “We encourage every establishment to adopt an efficient policy on safety so that accidents may be avoided.” she added. (By Albert A. Bantan, Information Officer II, ECC-REUXI)
