Swift aid for Binaliw trash slide victims

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), has moved to ensure swift assistance and benefits for workers injured and killed in the Binaliw landfill tragedy earlier this month.

ECC Executive Director Kaima Via Velasquez said the commission is coordinating closely with DOLE Central Visayas, the Social Security System (SSS), and the employer, Prime Waste Solutions Cebu, to speed up the processing of claims.

“We have instructed our regional officer in Cebu to prioritize these cases and extend all possible assistance to the affected workers and their families,” Velasquez said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the ECC regional office, monitoring of the incident began immediately after it happened, with coordination meetings held among representatives of the landfill owner, SSS, and ECC even as rescue efforts were still underway.

Under the Employees’ Compensation Program, qualified beneficiaries of deceased workers are entitled to death pensions, funeral assistance, and immediate cash aid. Injured workers may claim sickness or disability benefits, including reimbursement for medical expenses.

DOLE Central Visayas Regional Director Roy Buenafe said Prime Waste Solutions Cebu has pledged to settle all remaining claims of the victims and affected workers.

Beyond EC benefits, DOLE said it will provide additional support through livelihood and emergency employment assistance under the Integrated Livelihood Program and the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers program.

The department added that profiling and data-gathering activities are ongoing to ensure assistance reaches beneficiaries without delay.

The landfill collapse on Jan. 8 claimed the lives of 36 people and left several others injured.