Sen. Raffy Tulfo wants charges filed against 23 business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu that allegedly put the lives of their employees in danger when a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the province recently.
Tulfo, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, yesterday said that one BPO company blocked the emergency exit of the facility to prevent employees from getting out, while another forced workers to immediately return to work after the quake.
‘I went to Cebu last weekend to condole with and help victims of the earthquake. I witnessed the sufferings of our countrymen. Some lost their loved ones, others their homes and property,’ Tulfo said. ‘I was furious when I learned that a BPO company compelled its workers to return to work instead of allowing them to go home after the earthquake. Another firm prevented the workers from going out of the building.’
In pushing to hold these companies accountable, Tulfo cited Labor Advisory 17 issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in 2022, which states that during calamities such as earthquakes and typhoons, companies must prioritize the safety of their workers and cannot penalize those who are unable to report to work due to safety risks.
He also cited a DOLE order that recognizes the right of workers to refuse work without threat or reprisal from employers if an imminent danger exists in the workplace.
‘What’s the purpose of these orders if these are not implemented properly? There should be a corresponding penalty against companies that violate DOLE’s orders and advisories,’ Tulfo said.
John Kyle Enero, spokesman for the BPO Industry Employees’ Network-Cebu, lamented the ‘business-as-usual’ policy of some BPO companies during natural disasters.
DOLE-Central Visayas chief Roy Buenafe said they investigated and issued work stoppage orders against six local BPO companies that reportedly violated labor laws.