CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said Wednesday that he is considering banning the construction of bunkhouses in the city after a four-deck bunkhouse on Archbishop Reyes Avenue in Barangay Lahug collapsed Tuesday dawn, killing five construction workers.
Osmeña said most bunkhouses in the city are constructed for workers who are from mountain barangays.
"Why should we allow bunkhouses here (in the city)?" the mayor said, adding that most construction workers are residing within Metro Cebu.
"It's a real danger. This is not the first time it happened," Osmeña said. "I need suggestions from the public on how to do this."
“This (JE Abraham C. Lee Construction Inc.) contractor is out of business as far as Cebu City is concerned. He (Lee) doesn’t have a business permit. Now we’re going to start looking at the other businesses as well and bunkhouses,” he said.
For her part, Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale urged construction companies operating in Cebu to provide ample care for their workers and keep them safe.
Magpale said that although the Province has implemented livelihood training programs in its towns and cities, some people, particularly skilled workers, still prefer to work in Cebu City where construction firms often have jobs waiting for them.
Help from the Province
While the developer will shoulder funeral expenses of the families of five construction workers, the Province will provide financial aid to three of the construction workers who are from the province. Of the five construction workers who were killed in the accident, two hailed from the City of Naga while the other was from Toledo City.
Effective last March 6, the Cebu City Government suspended all ongoing projects of JE Abraham C. Lee Construction and Development Corp. Its bunkhouse where more than 150 workers were sleeping collapsed before daybreak on that day.
Earlier, City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez said that the company registered under the City Government is JE Abraham C. Lee Construction and Development Corp. However, this entity is registered only as a developer under the City Hall business permit section.
What was registered as the contractor was a certain JE Abraham C. Lee Construction Inc.
According to Claire Cabalda, business permit and licensing section head, JE Abraham C. Lee Construction Inc. was registered in 1999 as a firm that offered services and rental of heavy equipment. Since 2001, the firm has not renewed its business permit and it has not paid its dues. It also has not applied for retirement of business.
City Building Official Engr. Josefa Ylanan issued a suspension order for four projects currently being handled by the developer.
These sites are in IT Park, Pag-ibig area, Lahug and a fourth one that has yet to be checked by City Hall engineers.
In a separate interview, Ylanan said that while she supports the mayor’s plan, it must be made clear that there are also other types of bunkhouses.
She said it is normal for construction firms to build bunkhouses in the project site to serve as temporary houses for workers during breaktime.
But if the construction site is limited, the firm will have to house their workers in a different area.
Not the first
The bunkhouse, though, must be habitable.
“Usually, construction workers are billeted outside the construction area because it is dangerous for them to inhale dust. It also becomes unsanitary because the temporary facilities will be limited. I go for the mayor’s idea (to ban bunkhouses),” Ylanan said.
Ylanan pointed out that it is necessary for firms to secure a building permit for all their structures, including bunkhouses. The permit is for temporary structures, which will have to be demolished after these have served their purpose.
The city engineer has also given the management of JE Abraham C. Lee Construction and Development Corp. within this week to submit their written explanation on the incident.
In September 2016, the firm was also involved in a wall’s collapse in Barangay Labangon, which killed one laborer.
However, the City Government did not file charges against the firm since that is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Ylanan said that the firm was allowed to continue their operations after correcting their technical and structural violations and paying the penalty.
“But in this case, we will be filing charges against the firm. This is a different situation from the one in 2016 because the one in Lahug is not on the construction site. It’s not the building itself, but an amenity. It’s an auxiliary structure but still has to be permitted,” she said. (SunStar Philippines with JKV)