Councilor proposes measure to grant aid to injured workers

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City Councilor Emmarie "Lolypop"Ouano-Dizon has authored a grants financial or burial assistance to city government employees who figure in accidents while performing tasks in line of their work.

Dizon in an interview said she drafted the proposal after a city hall employee, who has been with the government for the past 23 years, sought financial assistance from the city government after he was hit by a passenger vehicle while supervising a clean and green activity at the Reclamation Area months ago.

However, no aid was extended to him because the city legal office said there is no city ordinance or a resolution which would compel the city to provide financial support.

In her draft ordinance, Ouano-Dizon stated that any regular or job order employee of the Mandaue City hall can avail of financial assistance from the city government if he is unable to work and is confined in hospital due to sickness, injury, or accident which occurred during the performance of his duty.

The proposed ordinance further states that financial assistance extended by the city will depend on the incapacity suffered by the employee.

He will get a minimum of P25,000 and a maximum of P50,000 if during the performance of duty he lost an eye, hand, foot, an arm, or leg.

While P10,000 and a maximum of P25,000 shall be extended to an employee if he lost any part of his body which was not mentioned above, or an employee has been ill or unable to work for 30 days.

Five thousand pesos will be given to him if he has been incapacitated for 15 days.

Twenty-five thousand pesos will be extended to him if he dies while working.

Once this ordinance is approved, a budget of at least P500,000 from the Human Resource Management Office shall be appropriated annually.

The draft ordinance was approved on first reading during last Wednesday's council session. (FREEMAN)