Worker trains in Japan but returns with Japanese encephalitis
By CARINE M. ASUTILLA, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas | 02/03/2009 10:33 PM
The Region 7 office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it would form a team to investigate the case of a Filipino worker who went to Japan for training and returned to Lapu-Lapu City with Japanese encephalitis.
Marina Dungog, 48 years old from Barangay Looc in Lapu-Lapu City, is a factory worker in Sun-Pleats which is a garments factory based in Japan and is operating its branch here in the country inside Mactan Economic Zone (MEZ).
Marina was reportedly sent to Japan for training supposedly together with five other factory workers. The training was supposed to last for three months but Marina was sent home by the company last January 29 after she reportedly collapsed from work five days before she arrived in Cebu.
DOLE in Central Visayas said that they have to check if the company sent Marina for work or for training. The family said that Marina was sent there for work as she received the same salary from her work in Cebu.
Even Sun-Pleats, according to Margie Saya-ang who is a sister of Marina, confirmed that the workers are sent there for work.
In their meeting with DOLE-7 Regional Director Elias Cayanong, he advised the family to gather all the documents related to Marina’s work and deployment abroad.
Saya-ang said however that all of Marina’s documents were in the hands of the company. She said that she tried to ask for the necessary documents like Marina’s passport but the company only told her that it belonged to them since the company paid for it. The company also reportedly said that the passport will only be given to them if it expires.
Cayanong said that all he knows about the incident is based on media reports. He said that he needs evidence and has to hear the side of the company as well. DOLE said that they are willing to help the Marina and her family to get the benefits due to them.
Marina’s insurance of P45,000 was reportedly already depleted within a day of her medication at Chong Hua Hospital. The company reportedly handed over P50,000 to the family of Marina last Monday. The next financial assistance is expected to be given after the result of the company’s investigation of the incident in Japan.
The family said it worries for the hospitalization of Marina. They said her medicines would amount to more than P10,000 a day.
Doctors of Marina explained that Japanese encephalitis attacks a person’s nervous system. The disease can cause mental retardation that leads to coma. Marina is currently at the Intensive Critical Care Unit of the private hospital.
as of 02/03/2009 10:33 PM
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