Employers in BARMM compelled to protect workers from El Niño

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Bangsamoro labor ministry has ordered owners of private establishments in the autonomous region to protect workers from extreme heat at daytime caused by the El Niño phenomenon via essential mitigation measures.

Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was quoted in radio reports here on Sunday as saying that he had issued last Thursday a directive compelling employers to supply workers with adequate safe drinking water in their workplaces for proper rehydration to prevent medical emergencies.

Sema said he has also directed employers to ensure proper ventilation in indoor working sites for the convenience and safety of workers.

“Employers were also instructed to immediately transport to the nearest medical dispensaries any worker who shall need medical support when downed or may experience physical discomfort caused by heat in workplaces,” Sema said.

The Ministry of Labor and Employment-BARMM covers the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.

The entrepreneur-lawyer Ronald Hallid Torres, chairperson of the Bangsamoro Business Council, told reporters on Sunday that they have urged their provincial officials to abide with the MoLE-BARMM’s initiative to protect workers of private establishments from the health hazards brought about by the El-Niño phenomenon.

“We don’t have problem complying with that directive from our regional labor ministry. We have disseminated that to our members,” Torres said.