70 construction sites flagged in Quezon City

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City government has issued cease and desist orders against 70 construction sites that were found to have violated health and safety protocols for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The violations were discovered following surprise inspections recently conducted by the city government, said Dale Perral, officer-in-charge of the city’s Department of Building Official.

The safety guidelines for the implementation of infrastructure projects of Department of Public Works and Highways and the safe workplace guidelines of the Department of Labor and Employment were among the rules violated by the construction sites, he said.

Perral said the construction sites also violated the city government’s revised construction guidelines under modified enhanced community quarantine for construction infrastructure projects.

According to the official, most violations include the absence of designated safety officers and missing personal records and health reports of personnel, which are necessary for contact tracing.

Seven of the projects were also found to have recorded positive cases of COVID-19.

“We will allow them to resume with their on-site construction activities as soon as they have completed the 14-day quarantine protocol and passed the city’s assessments,” Perral said.

Mayor Joy Belmonte reiterated her call for all establishments to follow health protocols to protect their employees and nearby communities.

“We understand that granting workers medical leave to isolate have significant economic costs, but so would major outbreaks. We appeal to everyone to cooperate in stopping COVID-19 transmission in the city,” she added.