DOLE’s OSHC seeks declaration of Covid-19 as work-related illness

By: Cathrine Gonzales, INQINQUIRER.net, 3 Feb 2021

MANILA, Philippines — The Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is seeking the declaration of Covid-19 as a work-related illness.

OSHC executive director Noel Binag said they already submitted its recommendation to the governing board of the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), which will then lay down policies for such declaration.

“We recommended that it can be declared a work-related disease, ‘yung (the) Covid, but merong (but with) qualifications,” he said in an online media forum.

“There are qualifications to declare it especially ‘yung mga because of the nature of their work, they are always exposed to the public. High-risk talaga ‘yan so ang ni-recommend namin sa governing board (They are high-risk so what we recommend to the governing board) is for the governing board to study our recommendations, and probably in the soonest time they will come up with a resolution adopting our recommendations,” he added.

Binag said OSHC’s recommendation would cover medical frontliners, uniformed personnel, workers in grocery stores, and other groups of employees exposed to the public because of the nature of their work.

“Nasa governing board natin ‘yan sa Employees’ Compensation Commission. Kailangan gumawa sila ng resolution to declare na ito ang qualified beneficiaries to receive compensation. Hintayin natin ang resolution na lalabas coming from our governing board,” he added.

(It is now with the governing board of the ECC. They should make a resolution to declare that these are the qualified beneficiaries to receive compensation. Let us wait for the resolution that will come from our governing board.)