Some 100K workers affected by ‘slowdown’ in public works
An estimated 100,000 workers have been affected after several companies mainly in the construction business had their licenses revoked for being linked to the public works corruption scandal.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian gave this figure as the matter came up during the Senate plenary debates on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) on Thursday night.
Gatchalian took note of the “slowdown” in construction activities involving government infrastructure projects as a result of investigations that uncovered anomalies in the Department of Public Works and Highways and its juicy contracts awarded to private companies.
“Around a hundred thousand is their estimate; quite a lot,” he said in reply to a query from Sen. Risa Hontiveros on the number of workers affected by paralyzed operations of the companies implicated in the scandal.
“Many of them are construction workers (who are) not regular employees,’’ he said, who spoke as the lawmaker defending Dole’s budget proposal.
Hope they’d be ‘absorbed’
Hontiveros noted that it would also translate to “100,000 families” now in immediate need of government assistance.
‘Gatchalian said that “hopefully, they could be absorbed by private sector construction (projects). I think that in the private sector, despite the loss of Pogos [Philippine offshore gaming operators], there is a resurgence in (demand for) office space. So our hope is to rechannel (the displaced workers) from government projects to the private sector.”
Dole had extended “temporary employment assistance” to the affected workers, and that it had programs available to upgrade or teach them new livelihood skills, the senator said.
Stakeholders in the construction industry should “coordinate with Dole” if they know of more workers being displaced due to the flood control issue, he said.
Discaya companies
On Sept. 1, the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) revoked the licenses of nine companies owned or controlled by Cezarah “Sarah” Discaya, who had cornered more than P30 billion in government flood control contracts since 2022.
These are St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp., Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corp., St. Timothy Construction Corp., Amethyst Horizon Builders and General Contractor and Development Corp., St. Matthew General Contractor and Development Corp., Great Pacific Builders and General Contractor Inc., YPR General Contractor and Construction Supply Inc., Way Maker OPC, and Elite General Contractor And Development Corp.
On Oct. 22, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the revocation of the PCAB licenses of the top 15 flood control contractors identified by President Marcos in August was already in its final stages. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH
Source: Inquirer Archives, pcabgovph.com
