AS THE country braces for the prolonged dry conditions due to the severe El Niño, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is planning to allow workers who suffer from heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke, heat cramps and heat exhaustion, to claim Employees’ Compensation (EC) benefits.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said the department plans to issue a labor advisory covering work-related heat injuries.
The benefits would be made available through the Social Security System (SSS) or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Tolentino said.
The move comes as the government prepares for prolonged hot and dry conditions. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said a very strong El Niño could intensify its effects on the country in late October or early November and persist until around March 2027. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)