The Department of Labor and Employment – DOLE in Bicol is set to conduct a series of inspections and monitoring of selected construction projects across the region.
Nepomuceno Leaño II, the DOLE officer in charge for Bicol, said that in previous inspections of the maritime and transportation sectors, the government recorded transport operators who did not pay mandatory government contributions or social welfare benefits to their laborers.
“In so far as construction is concerned, we need to determine that it’s not just about checking contributions. There must truly be an operational safety and health program talaga, or if it’s a low-risk requirement to ensure worker safety while the building is under construction,” he said.
Leaño said that they will also evaluate local government units’ compliance with the issuance of building permits in the absence of operational safety and health certifications, as well as overall labor standards. Ching Banania, Chief of the Technical Support and Services Division at DOLE Bicol, said that the construction industry has been identified as the second priority sector for the inter-agency monitoring initiative due to its high-risk nature.
Workers in the sector face various hazards, including working at heights, falling objects, electrocution, excavation incidents, and potential structural collapses, she said.
“We at DOLE have a checklist for our inspectors. In carrying out our tasks, it is very important that we remain factual and religiously compliant. If this does not consistently happen and we are only compliant on paper but not in actual practice, we will collectively be accountable for the welfare of the workers,” she added.
The construction projects will be identified by the DOLE provincial offices in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). These will include publicly funded projects and vertical construction activities that will undergo comprehensive inspection and assessment.
The monitoring will focus on three major areas:
Occupational safety and health — including construction safety and health programs, designation of safety officers, functionality of safety and health committees, provision and proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), fall protection systems, and emergency preparedness measures.
Labor standards — covering compliance on wages, working conditions, and employment records.
Technical safety — assessing safety measures involving cranes, hoists, pressure vessels, and electrical systems used in construction operations.
The regional inspection activities are scheduled to begin with the regional launching of the HIHVIM in Camarines Sur on July 8, 2026, followed by provincial inspections in Catanduanes and Camarines Norte on July 21, Masbate on July 22, Sorsogon on July 23, and Albay on July 24, 2026.
A multistakeholder activity and press conference will also be held on July 30, 2026, in Legazpi City to present the inspection outcomes, compliance highlights, and key findings from the initiative.
Banania added that the national government aims to achieve high impact and high visibility inspection to advance a safer and more compliant construction industry where workers’ rights, welfare, and protection remain a priority.
Allan Medes, a construction worker on an ongoing hospital project in Legazpi City, said he appreciated this kind of government effort because it will ensure the welfare of small wage earners like him.
“Tama po ito para hindi na maulit ‘yung nangyaring collapse ng building sa Pampanga na may mga nawala o namatay ba na construction workers. Mababa lang ang sahod namin pero mahirap po trabaho namin, kaya tama po iyan,” he said.
(This is right so that what happened in the building collapse in Pampanga, where some construction workers were missing or lost their lives, will not happen again. Our wages may be low, but our work is difficult, so this is the right thing to do.)
Source: PIA Bicol Region