Five survivors of the Chuzon Supermarket in Porac, Pampanga that collapsed during a magnitude-6.1 earthquake last month have received financial aid from the government.
Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the P10,000 cash assistance for each victim came from the Employees Compensation Commission.
The financial assistance was received by the victims through their families in San Fernando City, Pampanga on Labor Day.
Those who received the financial assistance were Ma. Lourdes Martin, a saleslady, through her father Edgardo; Jonie Gonzales, a bagger, through wife Diane; Rhinalyn Corpuz, a checker, through mother Remedios; Ivone Tating, an office staff, through mother Lorielyn; and Desiree Facun, also an office staff, through father Tony.
Some of the victims are still recuperating in hospitals, two weeks after the earthquake, the epicenter of which was tracked in Castillejos, Zambales some 80 kilometers south.
Two workers had their legs amputated while the rest sustained multiple fractures.
Bello said that the cash incentive is part of the quick response program of the ECC to provide immediate help to employees with work-related contingencies. Aside from cash incentives, the victims also received some grocery items from the ECC.
The workers’ assistance is part of the ECC Rehabilitation of the Persons with Work-Related Disability Program which facilitates the integration of PWRDs into the economic mainstream through various interventions such as the ECC-Quick Response to PWRDs, psycho-social counseling services, medical help, and assistance in the filing of the necessary claims.
The program also offers the KAGABAY Project, or the “Katulong at Gabay sa Manggagawang May Kapansanan” which provides vocational skills and entrepreneurial training and other employment or job placement assistance, as well as physical therapy, occupational therapy, and provision of rehabilitation appliances. (Erma Edera)
