G.R. No. L-19854, December 27, 1963
NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT CO., petitioner, vs. WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION COMMISSION AND GUILLERMA MILLANO, respondents.

FACTS

Respondent Guillerma Millano had been employed as a spinner by petitioner National Development Company (NDC) since 1947. On January 11, 1951, while she was stooping to pick up bobbins at work, two heavy roves fell on her back from a height of seven to eight feet. She felt dizzy, began spitting blood, and was taken to the company clinic. The following day, she was hospitalized at the Quezon Institute and diagnosed with active, moderately advanced pulmonary tuberculosis. She was discharged in April 1951 but continued medical treatment until October 1955. While she was still hospitalized in February 1951, NDC terminated her services via a letter offering a gratuity.
Millano filed a claim for compensation. A hearing officer awarded her compensation, reimbursement for medical expenses, and attorney’s fees. NDC petitioned for review before the Workmen’s Compensation Commission, contesting the finding that her illness was aggravated by her employment. Associate Commissioner Perez affirmed the awards with minor modifications. The Commission en banc denied reconsideration, prompting NDC to elevate the case to the Supreme Court via certiorari.

ISSUE

The primary issue is whether the Workmen’s Compensation Commission erred in affirming the award, specifically: (1) by allegedly making new factual findings on review not raised in the pleadings, and (2) by finding that Millano’s illness resulted from the nature of her employment.

RULING

The Supreme Court affirmed the Commission’s decision. On the first ground, the Court held that the Commission did not exceed its authority. NDC argued that the claim and the hearing officer’s decision were based solely on the aggravation of a pre-existing disease and that this finding had become final since Millano did not appeal. The Court meticulously examined the complaint and the hearing officer’s decision, finding they were not predicated solely on aggravation. Millano’s complaint alleged she was healthy when hired, that her strenuous work involved lifting heavy objects and exposure to cotton dust, night work, and temperature changes—conditions conducive to the “development and aggravation” of tuberculosis. The hearing officer’s decision likewise relied on the dual grounds that the employment caused her to contract the disease in 1950 and that continued work thereafter aggravated it. Therefore, the Commission’s review and affirmation were within the scope of the issues presented.
On the substantive second ground, the Court found the Commission’s conclusion—that Millano’s pulmonary tuberculosis was a result of the nature of her employment and working conditions—was supported by substantial evidence. The Court deferred to the Commission’s factual findings, noting the strenuous nature of her work and the documented incident of trauma. The termination of her services while she was hospitalized further underscored the employment connection. Consequently, the award of compensation, medical reimbursement, and costs was legally sound and upheld.