DOLE-7 Issues Work Stoppage on Mall Construction in SRP

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-Region 7 has issued a work stoppage order on a mall construction project located at the South Road Properties (SRP) in Cebu City.

DOLE-7 Regional Director Exequiel R. Sarcauga said Wednesday they received a complaint letter from one of the workers of the construction project which prompted them to send a labor laws compliance officer to the construction site.

The order was issued last Feb. 20 to the project manager, contractor and owner.

A mandatory conference with the parties was held on Feb. 21.

Mercado Builders, Inc., the project manager of IL Corso Festival Mall Project, together with RBM Construction, its independent contractor, appeared at the DOLE office on Tuesday for the mandatory conference.

The DOLE-7 ordered the contractors, including Filinvest Land Inc., the owner of the project, to “cease and desist from all their exterior operations until such time that imminent danger is rectified.”

The project’s exterior works included cladding, painting, and roofing, among others.

Engr. Rustico Levi Custorio, the Labor Law Compliance Officer who conducted the compliance visit, said the violations include deficiencies under the Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS) and also those covered by General Labor Standards (GLS).

“The primary reason why we issued a work stoppage order is the presence of imminent danger observed at the site upon the conduct of the compliance visit. The construction project site only uses monkey ladder and canopy structure, which serves as a scaffold and platform for its exterior works,” said Sarcauga. (PNA)LAP/EB/EDS