The Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Development (IOHSAD) on Saturday, 4 October, condemned several business process outsourcing (BPO) firms in Cebu for allegedly disregarding workers' safety following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province on 30 September.

Citing accounts gathered by the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN)-Cebu, IOHSAD said disturbing practices were reported during the quake, including instructions for employees to stay inside or return to visibly compromised buildings, orders to save company data before evacuating, and requirements to log attendance in the midst of an evacuation.

Reports also noted that workers who left due to fear were marked absent or issued formal notices, while vulnerable employees, including pregnant women and those experiencing anxiety, were denied adequate protection.

IOHSAD stressed that such practices directly contravene Republic Act No. 11058, or the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Law, which guarantees the right of workers to refuse unsafe work without punishment.

“The conduct of these companies reveals a callous prioritization of profit over human life. Workers should never be forced to choose between survival and their livelihood," Nadia De Leon, IOHSAD executive director, said.

"Profit must never come before workers’ safety and lives,” De Leon added.

The group is urging the Department of Labor and Employment to immediately deploy independent inspections with structural engineers to all affected worksites, strictly penalize employers who violate safety standards, and guarantee the protection of workers who exercise their right to refuse unsafe work.

IOHSAD also underscored the urgent need to establish Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committees in BPO companies, led by genuine worker representatives, to ensure accountability and prevent further abuses.

It added that the incidents in Cebu are not isolated but reflect long-standing systemic problems within the BPO industry, where operational continuity and client contracts are consistently placed above worker welfare.

IOHSAD called on Congress and labor authorities to undertake comprehensive reforms to strengthen OSH enforcement, criminalize OSH rights violations, secure workers’ rights to refuse dangerous work, and advance structural protections such as paid disaster leave and union recognition.

“Workers’ safety is not negotiable,” De Leon emphasized. “The recent earthquake must serve as a wake-up call for the government and employers alike: protecting workers’ safety and lives must always be the highest priority in every workplace.”