Cebu’s provincial and city governments have ordered an investigation into the alleged unsafe conditions faced by business process outsourcing (BPO) employees in the wake of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake.
In an interview with ANC’s “Headstart” on Friday, October 3, the Cebu Provincial Public Information Office said Governor Pam Baricuatro has already requested the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to investigate BPO companies in the province, including other companies with “questionable” standard operating procedures.
“Yes, we are looking into this. We got reports from some companies, although majority of the BPO companies that we have seen are in Cebu City,” Cebu provincial public information officer Ainjeliz Orong said.
Local action. Orong clarified that most of the BPO firms flagged for unsafe conditions operate within Cebu City, which is beyond the provincial government’s jurisdiction. She said the city government, however, has since launched its own investigation.
“I understand and I’ve seen that the Cebu City government is on top of this. Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and Vice Mayor Tommy Osmeña have already ordered for a probe for DOLE to step in,” she added.
The investigations were prompted by a letter from the BPO Industry Employees’ Network (BIEN) in Cebu to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), requesting a dialogue on reported labor rights and workplace safety violations.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, in an interview with DZMM TeleRadyo, said the dialogue is set for Monday, October 6, to discuss the details. He also urged affected workers to file complaints with the nearest DOLE office.
“Kaya nga po ang aming pakiusap sa mga manggagawa na mayroong maling experience o karanasan na may kinalaman sa di magandang pamamalakad, hinihiling po namin at nakikiusap kami padalhan po kami ng detalye para sa ganon maka-aksyon po kami kaagad,” he said. (That’s why we are appealing to workers who have had negative experiences or encountered poor practices to send us the details, so we can act on them right away.)
Hundreds of complaints
BIEN Cebu reportedly received hundreds of complaints from BPO workers of at least 10 companies within just two days after the September 30 earthquake.
Among the complaints were accounts of employees being forced to return to work despite the risk of aftershocks, facing retaliatory measures such as notices to explain, unpaid workdays, loss of benefits, sanctions, suspensions and even threats of dismissal.
BPO companies in the Cebu province and city have allegedly failed to provide any support to their workers after the quake, not even transportation assistance, psychological debriefing or medical aid.
Collecting reports. On the part of the Cebu City government, Osmeña posted his personal number on social media to receive detailed complaints from residents, saying this would help the city consolidate reports and file a comprehensive case.
The earthquake damaged several buildings, roads, bridges and establishments, with many collapsing or sustaining major cracks. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, at least 72 people were killed and more than 500 others were injured, as aftershocks continue.