The Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) is urging the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to ensure that Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies and other large private establishments have comprehensive emergency and disaster response plans, in line with the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) under the Labor Code.
Councilor Caesar Z. Distrito, author of the SP resolution, said it seeks to protect thousands of workers, particularly in BPOs that operate 24/7, from risks during earthquakes, fires, and other disasters.
“The safety and well-being of employees should always come first. Companies must have clear, tested, and regularly updated emergency and disaster response plans to safeguard their workers, especially in high-occupancy workplaces like BPOs,” Distrito said.
The resolution comes in light of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu in September, after reports surfaced that some BPO employees were allegedly required to return to work in buildings with uncertain structural integrity, Distrito said.
“This incident shows the urgent need for stronger enforcement of workplace safety standards. DOLE must ensure that employers are ready and accountable when emergencies happen,” Distrito added.
Under the approved resolution, the City Council requests DOLE to:
· *Ensure that all BPOs and large companies have approved and regularly updated Emergency and Disaster Response Plans; and
· *Establish a monitoring and compliance mechanism to verify that these plans are implemented, regularly tested through drills, and strictly followed during actual emergencies.
Distrito said the measure is part of ongoing efforts to promote workplace safety and protect the rights and welfare of workers in Bacolod City.*