The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) participated in the capacity building forum organized by the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) for researchers involved in its study on People with Disabilities (PWD) last July 13 at the ECC Conference Room, ECC Building in Makati City.

The activity was designed to improve the survey taking skills of both enumerators and researches involved in the return to work paper of the ECC titled “A Survey on Job Retention and Return to Work of Persons with Work Related Disability (PWRDs) in Selected Regions in the Philippines,” which it is undertaking in partnership with ILS. It also served as a venue to familiarize the participants with the various laws and international conventions governing the welfare of PWDs.

The event, more importantly, equipped the participants with anecdotal examples of return to work efforts and experiences of unions and companies.

The Capacity Building Activity was attended by representatives from the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), Bureau of Working Conditions (BWC), University of the Philippines Manila-College of Allied Medical Professions (UP-CAMP), International Labor Organization (ILO), and SPI Corporation. The ILS was represented by Ms. Miraluna S. Tacadao, Ms. Soledad Narido, Ms. Frances Camille Dumalaog and Mr. RJ Manuel Mondano.

Discussants included the following: International Labour Organization representative Ms. Maria Lourdes Macapanan (“ILO Conventions Pertinent to Persons with Work Related Disability”); Dr. Raymond Bañaga of ECC (“Rational of the Current Situation on Job Retention and Return to Work of Persons with Work-related Disabilities”); Atty. Maria Consuelo Bacay of the Bureau of Working Conditions (“Labor Relations and Return to Work”); Dr. Marc Valleros, BWC (“Labor Standards and Laws for PWDs”); Mr. Isidro Antonio Asper, of Federation of Free Workers (“Labor Union Practice”); and Ms. Ma Cristina Gatdula, SPI Corporation (“Employers Best Practices on Job Retention and RT of PWRDs”).

The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) is the policy research and advocacy arm of the Department of Labor and Employment. For more information about ILS products and services, please visit: http://ils.dole.gov.ph or call Advocacy and Publications Division at tel.no. 527-3490.