In a statement, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said that in the event the Employees Compensation Commission declares the pathogen as a work-related disease, workers will be entitled to medical benefits, compensation for lost income, and even funeral services should any employee die from the virus. "Workplaces and mass transportation are the new 'hot spots' of virus transmission," Hontiveros said in mixed Filipino and English. It's not curfews or checkpoints that are needed but guaranteed protection in case they get infected or hit by a virus," Hontiveros said. "It should not be the burden of the employee to prove that he or she got the virus at work. If it continues, it will just push workers to the brink of endless fear, sacrifice, and hunger," Hontiveros concluded.

Source: Philippine Star March 24, 2021 03:45 UTC