PINOY STREETJOB: Employee Disability Benefits in the Philippines

In Chapter VI, Book IV of the Philippine Labor Code covers at length the disability benefits available to every employee in the Philippines. The term "employee" denotes any person legally employed in the Philippines, any person compulsorily covered by the GSIS under the Commonwealth Act 186, or any person compulsorily covered by the SSS under Republic Act 1161.

The employee disability benefits offered by the System depends on the severity of the disability claim which is to be determined by the Medical Director of the System and approved by the Employees' Compensation Commission. Articles 191, 192 and 193 of the Philippine Labor Code cover the different degrees of the disability and the disability benefits accompanying them.

In Article 191, under the subheading Temporary Total Disability, any employee who acquires temporary total disability due to a sustained injury or disease will enjoy a monetary aid paid by the Government. For each day of such a disability (or fraction of the disability period thereof) he/she will enjoy the income benefit equivalent to ninety percent of his average daily salary wage.

Provided, as amended by Section 2, Executive Order No. 179, the disability benefit is subject to the following conditions: that the daily benefit income should not be less than ten pesos (P10) nor it should be more than ninety pesos (P90). Moreover, these disability benefits will extend only up to one hundred twenty days (120 days), except as otherwise stated by the Commission. In any event, the System will be notified of the injury or sickness.

The disability benefit of such income benefit shall also reflect the regulations of the Commission, as amended by Section 19, Presidential Decree No. 850.

Under Article 192 Permanent Total Disability, the following disabilities are considered total and permanent:

total disability, temporary or permanent (except as otherwise stated in the Rules) but which persisted for more than one hundred and twenty days is deemed already permanent
total loss of sight on both eyes is automatically deemed permanent disability
loss of both limbs, or the loss of an appendage part starting from the ankle or wrist is automatically permanent
total paralysis of a limb or both limbs, whether hands or feet is considered permanent
brain injury that results in permanent imbecility or mental illness

Under this regulation as the Employees' Compensation Commission may approve, the employee who fall under this Title shall, for each month until his death, be paid an amount equal to his/her monthly income benefit, plus ten percent thereof for every listed dependent. The list shall not exceed five, beginning with the youngest to the oldest. The list may not be substituted or appended when in effect. The payment will be handled by the System (SSS, GSIS or as the case may be) during such a disability, provided, that the monthly income benefit shall be the new amount of the monthly benefit for all covered pensioners.

Article 193 covers the Permanent Partial Disability. A legally employed worker in the Philippines can apply for the disabled benefits under this Title if he/she sustains an injury or contracts a disease resulting in his/her permanent partial disability.

Under this regulation as the Employees' Compensation Commission may approve, the employee who fall under this Title shall be paid by the System (SSS, GSIS or as the case may be) during such a disability an income benefit for a permanent total disability but not exceeding the period designated herein:

Complete and Permanent Injury	No. of Months
One thumb	10
One index finger	8
One middle finger	6
One ring finger	5
One little finger	3
One big toe	6
One toe	3
One arm	50
One hand	39
One foot	31
One leg	46
One ear	10
Both ears	20
Hearing of one ear	10
Hearing of both ears	50
Sight of one eye	25