The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 7 will not be lifting the stoppage order on the construction of the three-story Alta City building of the Alturas Group of Companies in Tagbilaran City until the project contractor complies with requirements set by the department.

According to DOLE 7 Assistant Regional Director Atty. Roy Buenafe who inspected the ill-fated building on Wednesday, the stoppage order will be upheld to ensure that working conditions at the site improve before construction resumes.

The stoppage order was issued by the DOLE 7 after a segment of the under-construction structure collapsed on Wednesday last week killing one construction worker and injuring two others.

“Ang stoppage order nato effective pa man hantod karon unless otherwise ma-comply nila ang atong mga requirements. From today, atong i-evaluate ang ilang compliance. Without compliance, dili g’yud nato libkason ang stoppage order,” Buenafe said.

“Unang [requirement] ang ilang safety plan g’yud. Although mga technical ra kaayo ni, mao nag-da g’yud ko og mga engineers because I want their advice kay medyo duna ni’y technical defects ang nahitabo na disgrasya. I need their advice aron mapugngan ang susamang pangahtibao,” he added.

The DOLE 7 is also set to require the contractor to acquire a third-party certification to ascertain the building’s structural integrity.

“Usa sa atong gi-require nila is we want a third-party certification, third-party testing,” Buenafe said. “Aron kung duna pay himuon nila na trabaho aron mahuman ni ilang structure duna gyu’’y third party na mo-certify na kining maong structural design luwas na ni sa disgrasya.”

However, Buenafe clarified that the stoppage order only covered the third floor of the three-story building.

“Didto lang nga bahin ang atong gi-isyuhan og stoppage order kay didto raman pod nahitabuan. Sa uban nga part wala man ta nakakita og unsay nahitabo,” he said.

Buenafe and a technical team from the DOLE 7 inspected the Alta Cita construction site as part of the department’s continuing investigation on the incident.

The DOLE 7 has also directed project contractor, Dakay Construction & Development Corp., to extend aid to families of construction workers affected by the partial collapse.

Buenafe said that the department intervened in the regulation of the construction as three workers were affected by the incident. (ad)