Thirty people died when a nine-story building in Angeles City, Pampanga collapsed before dawn on May 24. Now the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has put a price on the safety corners that were cut: it upheld a PHP 11.49 million liability against the contractor and its owner over unpaid workers’ benefits and serious safety violations.
What the ruling says
DOLE affirmed the liability of Golden Years Construction and Steelworks Corporation and Ernest Jackson Lim. The resolution, signed by Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on Aug 17, modifies an earlier June order and adds to the workers’ monetary award.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Unpaid wages, rest day premium and holiday pay, including the Work Stoppage Order period | PHP 1.17 million |
| Administrative fines for occupational safety and health violations | PHP 10.32 million |
| Total liability | PHP 11.49 million |
The violations behind the fines
DOLE said it found a pattern of persistent and willful non-compliance with occupational safety and health standards, including:
- Failure to provide personal protective equipment
- No permits secured for mechanical lifting equipment
- No required safety officers and first aiders on site
- No temporary accommodation provided for workers
What the workers are owed
DOLE found the workers’ claims “meritorious,” including their entitlement to rest day premium and unpaid wages while the Work Stoppage Order was in effect. That raised the monetary award to PHP 1.17 million from the original PHP 1.10 million. The respondents were ordered to pay within 10 days of receiving the resolution.
Why the ruling matters
The collapse of the nine-story building in Barangay Balibago killed 30 people, one of the deadliest construction incidents in the country in recent years. The ruling is a reminder that labor and safety violations carry real costs, and it lands as other infrastructure failures prompt scrutiny. The same week, the Agana Bridge in Tarlac collapsed with workers still missing, while DOLE separately moved to raise minimum wages in Davao effective Sept 1. For construction workers and their families, the Angeles ruling sets a benchmark for accountability that other projects will be measured against.
