I. What is Occupational Disease?

Occupational Disease: Cancer of the Philippine Business Sector

Occupational diseases in the Philippines are so common that common workers no longer know the difference between work-related diseases and hereditary or pre-existing illnesses. This awareness shortcoming results to the deprivation of rights which are all supported by Philippine law, and specifically, the labor code and Presidential Decree 626.

The term occupational disease refers to any ailment caused, developed or resulted from work and by the work environment itself. The disease may originate directly from the nature of work, the risks encompassing the job, the environment that comes with the work or any factor brought about by the duties.

Manual laborers almost always experience muscle sprains due to their job description. Encoders are always at high risk of developing Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) due to the repetitive positioning of the hands on keyboard. Chemical engineers who frequently rove chemical plantations are always exposed to toxic chemicals that may cause lifetime respiratory and organ problems. Street sweepers whose duty is practically to work with dirt, garbage and pollutions may develop diseases associated with their job description, like leptospirosis during rainy season and skin cancer from prolonged exposure to the sun and pollutants during hot dry season.

Occupational diseases are not to be confused with occupational injuries. The former term results to long-term health conditions that may interfere with the performance of responsibilities, if not totally impede one from working, while the latter is used to describe short-term injuries obtained from work-related factors that may minimally, if not totally, affect the performance of tasks and responsibilities of the worker.

Unlike injuries, occupational diseases are grounds for claiming early retirement benefits in the form of disability compensation arising from the need for long-term or permanent medical support, or temporary or permanent disability of the claimant. With all the medical reasons entitled to corresponding compensation into consideration, the fact remains that occupational injuries are still plausible to aggravation, leading to occupational diseases in the long run.

Common and rare diseases, whether medically classified as hereditary, genetic, environmental, incidental, etc., can be considered as work-related. Thus, all occupational diseases fall under other medical categories as well.

Primary ailments are not always occupational in nature and occupational diseases are not always primary ailments. Howbeit, complications of non-work-related sicknesses forming new ailments due to work-related factors can be declared occupational diseases as well. Such cases are still subject to contest by and large, principally and legally speaking.

All compensations for work-related ailments, injuries and deaths in the Philippines are upheld by the Employee’s Compensation Commission (ECC). Appeal on the body’s decision is still possible through regular litigation process in the courts.

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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.