Senator Raffy Tulfo, vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, conducted surprise inspections of construction sites, as well as garments, canning, and candy factories.
His office frequently receives complaints from workers, especially in construction, about abuse and lack of proper wages and benefits. Tulfo began his inspections at a construction site in Quezon City, where he encountered disturbing violations.
Workers told the senator they had been with the company for years but still received below minimum wage and had never received their 13th month pay. Even the site’s security guards were reportedly earning only half the mandated minimum wage in Metro Manila.
Tulfo also criticized the inhumane state of the workers’ living quarters, which shocked officials from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Quezon City Engineering Office.
He raised serious safety concerns over the lack of protective gear and the use of outdated, poorly maintained equipment, warning these conditions could be life-threatening.
The Quezon City Engineering Office issued a stern warning to the project engineer, threatening to revoke the construction permit unless immediate reforms are made. The BFP also flagged multiple fire safety violations.
Tulfo assured the workers they will receive their unpaid wages and 13th month pay as backpay—news that brought cheers and gratitude from the laborers.IMT
