MANILA — Senator Raffy Tulfo called for the filing of cases against several business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu that allegedly endangered their employees during the recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province.

At a Senate Committee on Labor hearing, Tulfo cited reports that one BPO company blocked its emergency exit to stop employees from leaving the building, while another forced workers to immediately resume operations after the quake.

“Noong weekend, I went to Cebu para makiramay at magpaabot ng tulong sa mga nasalanta at biktima ng lindol, at nakita ko ang sufferings ng mga kababayan natin doon — may namatay, may nawalan ng bahay, at marami pang iba,” Tulfo said.

“Uminit ang ulo ko noong malaman ko na may mga kumpanya na right after the earthquake, hindi pinauwi at sapilitang pinagtrabaho ang kanilang mga empleyado. Business is business, wala kaming pakialam. May lindol o wala, tuloy lang ang trabaho. Yung iba naman, hinarangan pa ang emergency exits para hindi makalabas ang mga empleyado nila,” he added.

Tulfo said those responsible should face charges for putting profit over the safety and welfare of their workers. “Gusto kong masampahan ng kaso ang mga kumpanyang ito at ang mga taong sangkot dito, dahil mas inuna pa nila ang kita kaysa sa buhay at kaligtasan ng kanilang mga empleyado,” he said.

The senator cited Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Labor Advisory No. 17, Series of 2022, which requires companies to prioritize worker safety during calamities, and DOLE Department Order No. 252, Series of 2025, which upholds employees’ right to refuse unsafe work without fear of reprisal.

“Anong silbi ng mga advisory na ’to kung hindi naman natin maipapatupad? Dapat may katapat na parusa ang mga kumpanyang lumalabag sa DOLE Orders at Advisories ninyo,” Tulfo said.

Kyle Enero, spokesperson of the BPO Industry Employees’ Network-Cebu, criticized the “business-as-usual” attitude of some BPO companies during disasters, saying such treatment of workers has been a recurring issue in the sector.

DOLE Region VII Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe told the committee that the agency has already investigated and issued work stoppage orders against six BPO firms — Iploy OPC, Optum Global Solutions, EXL Services, Alorica, Gagfa IT Tower, and Teleperformance IT Park Cebu.

Buenafe said two of the six companies have complied with occupational safety and health (OSH) requirements, while inspection authority will also be issued to 23 other BPO firms in Cebu with reported OSH and labor violations.

Tulfo earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 149 on October 6 to ensure the protection of employee rights in the BPO sector during calamities and emergencies, following his visit to Cebu to assist families affected by the earthquake.