IV. Knowing Your Rights and Benefits

Occupational Disease: Cancer of the Philippine Business Sector

Stated in Chapter VI of the Labor Code are the declarations a patient can file, which are classified according to the status of the illness – temporary total disability, permanent total disability and permanent partial disability. Compensation benefits cover all disability categories under the Workmen’s Compensation Law (PD 626).

All Filipinos proven to be suffering from the backlash of working under hazardous and risky conditions are entitled to disability benefits unless disqualified under legally exempted circumstances.

Disability benefit refers to the compensation package granted to an employee from private or public sector, including the dependents, to make up for the provider’s lost opportunity to continue working, temporarily or permanently, due to work-related injury, sickness or death. The disability benefit is given by the Social Security System (SSS) in the form of Disability Compensation or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in the form of Employees Compensation (EC), whichever organization covers the employee’s membership. Depending on the claim’s category, an employee can avail either of the following mandatory benefits:

• cash income for disability or death
• medical assistance and related services for sickness or injury
• rehabilitation services in addition to monetary benefit for permanent disability

The enumerated privileges (as only members can avail) all fall under mandatory benefits as stipulated by the Philippine Constitution. However, another set of benefits or monetary compensation can be availed directly from the employer (right to a safe working environment) if it can be proven that there is negligence on occupational safety and health on the employer’s part. Conscious negligence or not, the employer is still accountable to the employee.

Whether privilege or right, a claimant can file only one claim, or all at the same time, if applicable.

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James Henry Abrina is an editor, writer, SEO specialist and currently a Corporate Communication Professional, Market Desk Strategist, Business Development Officer and Unit Head for Business Profiles Incorporated.

He currently specializes in security management and business intelligence. Together with the company, he advocates Business Continuity Planning to change how the Philippine business sector sees the definition of crisis response and management.

For more useful information, read his articles at Triond and Masscom Tutor. Or his EzineArticles page.