Labor group slams BPO firms for Cebu quake response

A labor rights organization has denounced several Cebu-based business process outsourcing (BPO) companies for allegedly prioritizing operations over worker safety during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck on Sept. 30.

The BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) Cebu filed a complaint accusing some companies of forcing employees to remain at their desks, continue taking calls, and refrain from evacuating despite the tremor.

One firm reportedly blocked exits, preventing a pregnant employee from receiving immediate medical care, according to the group.

Screenshots circulating on social media show some workers receiving notices to explain (NTEs) for “abandoning” their posts after leaving the premises amid the earthquake.

“BPO workers are humans, not robots,” BIEN Cebu said in a statement, condemning what it called “business-as-usual” practices during a natural disaster.

“They have the right to refuse work in situations where their lives are endangered,” the group added.

“This latest disregard and neglect of worker safety echoes the 2017 Davao City tragedy of yet another BPO company,” the statement continued, referencing the NCCC Mall fire that killed 37 employees of a market research firm.

An investigation found the Davao building failed to meet the fire safety code, but neither the mall owners nor the employer were held legally accountable.

BIEN Cebu called this historical pattern “a gross violation of the Labor Code and Republic Act No. 11058,” also known as the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law of 2018.

The group urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to immediately probe the reported violations and hold companies accountable.

“BPO companies must prioritize employee safety and dignity over profit,” BIEN Cebu stated, emphasizing that compliance with OSH standards “is not optional — it is a legal and moral obligation.”