Case Digest (G.R. No. L-21963)
Facts:
National Development Company v. Roberta Rongavilla and the Workmen's Compensation Commission, G.R. No. L-21963, August 30, 1967, the Supreme Court En Banc, Zaldivar, J., writing for the Court.Roberta Rongavilla (the employee) was employed by National Development Company (NDC) in its textile mills from October 23, 1946 until her separation for ill health on June 11, 1951. From March 15, 1948 to June 11, 1951 she worked eight hours a day, six days a week, on rotating shifts operating a firm-winding machine. Her duties required prolonged standing, frequent manual restarting of stopped spindles when yarn snapped, and, at times, pushing or loading small cabs of yarn when no assistants were available.
On October 16, 1950 an examination at the Quezon Institute showed minimal pulmonary lesions; the company physician ordered three months’ rest. She returned to work and, on March 19, 1951, X-rays showed progression to a moderately advanced lesion in the left lung; she thereafter received extended treatment and was discharged on June 11, 1951 because of her pulmonary condition.
On May 31, 1960 the employee filed a claim for disability compensation with Regional Office No. 4, Department of Labor. A Hearing Officer rendered a decision on September 21, 1961 awarding compensation. The NDC sought review with the Workmen’s Compensation Commission (WCC) on November 11, 1961. Commissioner N. Baens del Rosario, by decision dated June 10, 1963, affirmed compensability, awarded P3,000 to the employee, attorney’s fees and fees payable to the Fund, and held that acceleration/aggravation of sickness by employment is compensable. NDC filed a motion for reconsideration (July 8, 1963), which the WCC en banc denied on September 24, 1963. NDC then filed the present petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court to review the WCC decision and resolution.
NDC contended (1) that R.A. 772 (which expressly added “tuberculosis” and the phrase “aggravated by” to Section 2 of Act No. 3428 effective June 20, 1952) could not b...(Pro-only)
Issues:
- Did the WCC correctly hold the employee’s tuberculosis and its aggravation by employment compensable notwithstanding that these explicit words were added to Section 2 of Act No. 3428 only by Republic Act No. 772 effective June 20, 1952?
- Did the WCC have jurisdiction to entertain the employee’s claim despite her failure to comply with the notice and claim-filing requirements...(Pro-only)
Ruling:
- (Pro-only)
Ratio:
- (Pro-only)
Doctrine:
- (Pro-only)