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Accident victim loses out on $4K insurance benefit—Dait
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Posted on Apr 28 2006
The Filipino man who was killed at a drainage construction site Tuesday after being pinned by a car on Beach Road in Chalan Kanoa was not a member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, which means that his family wound not be able to avail of at least $4,000 in insurance benefit.
According to OWWA welfare officer Mary D. Dait, the victim, identified as Marcillano Garcia, had not renewed his OWWA membership, which could have provided his family the insurance benefit of at least Php 220,000.
Dait said that, had Garcia been an OWWA member, the money from the insurance could have helped his family. The money is apart from the amount the victim’s company would provide his family.
Reports said the victim had been in and out of the CNMI since 1987.
Witnesses told Saipan Tribune that Garcia, a Filipino mason at Vargas Corp., was working in the drainage when he was pinned to death by the white Toyota Camry.
Another worker, Bonifacio Dimaunahan, was injured in the leg after he managed to jump out from the drainage area.
An OWWA employee said that, as soon as he read about the accident, he immediately searched the OWWA database to determine the eligibility of the victim and found out that the victim did not renew his membership this year.
The OWWA staff said the family he left behind could have received twice the benefits if he were an OWWA member since the accident happened while he was at work.
Dait said, though, that even if Garcia was not an OWWA member, her office would still extend assistance to the family. She said her office would be raising funds for the victim’s family.
Dait, who expressed sadness over this tragedy, is encouraging all Filipinos to renew their membership with OWWA.
“It’s for their families’ protection,” she said, adding that the membership does not only provide benefits when members die or meet accidents; members could also benefit from OWWA’s education program for OFWs and their children, livelihood loans, and job onsite services, among many others.
