THE Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) stopped releasing benefits of workers late last year because of lack of funds but is now ready to process applications.
“Just like some other agencies, our 2020 operating budget did not anticipate the pandemic.
Our budget for the cash assistance was for the usual number of applications and did not include work-related COVID-19,” said ECC executive director Stella Zipagan-Banawis.
“We suspended the application for EC cash assistance applied at our office because of lack of funds,” she added.
This month, the ECC resumed accepting applications and is ready to process and release employee benefits, she said.
Earlier, the Federation of Free Workers said the ECC payment stopped in September last year
“There are those still waiting for their (EC) benefits, including those that obviously got COVID-19 in the workplace, have been turned down by the ECC because they have no more funds,” said FFW vice president Julius Cainglet in a virtual briefing.
“It was sometime in September when many have been turned down as the funds have run out,” he added.
He said many employees have been dismayed by the non-release of benefits especially given the financial difficulties amid the pandemic.
