Bunkhouse collapses; five dead

CEBU, Philippines — Five workers died after the bunkhouse they occupied at a construction site along Archbishop Reyes Avenue in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City collapsed around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.

The fatalities were identified as Iveen Villarin, 23; Francisco Diapera, 45; Carlos Caliwa, 60; Crisenciano Silomen, 57; and Jason Bacalso, 22.

Nagiel Bañacia, chief of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO), said the five were stay-in workers.

At least 158 other workers survived the incident, of which four suffered serious injuries while 51 sustained minor injuries.

The security guard at the site, Amancio Aguhob, also said 30 more workers stayed outside the bunkhouse as it was already full at that time.

"Nahinanok ang mga tawo ato orasa… naa uban nakadagan… naa uban natug sa gawas,” he said.

He said he has since observed that the bunkhouse would move each time someone goes up to it.

“Makabantay ko muuyog kung naa musaka," Aguhob said.

One of the survivors, Rodeveco Dela Cruz, corroborated the guard’s statement. He said the structure would move at the slightest of movement at the top floor.

He said he and his co-workers slept at around 1 a.m. and were awakened by noise, which sounded like an earthquake.

"Gikan mi trabaho niya ala-una na mi nakatug… kadiyot ra mi nakatug niya nabantayan nako, ninghaganas na lang na murag linog," Dela Cruz said.

Statement

In a statement, JE Abraham C. Lee Construction & Development Inc. said it takes full responsibility for the incident and will subject its safety policy and practices for review.

The firm said it is investigating the incident and will cooperate with authorities in their own investigations.

It also said help has been extended to the families of the workers.

As of yesterday, 10 were released from the hospital while four were under observation.

“We are very saddened by this unfortunate incident. Our priority has been to attend to the injured, especially to their medical needs. We have provided assistance to their families and the other workers not hurt; as well as special care and arrangements for the fatalities and their families,” the statement reads.

The project’s engineer, Butch Abaya, said they used braces attached to metal bars to ensure the structure was stable. He admitted, though, that its foundation was not holed into the ground.

He said the bunk house was built last September and was able to house more than a hundred workers before.

Action

Following the incident, the Cebu City Office of the Building Official suspended all developments undertaken by JE Abraham C. Lee Construction & Development Inc.

OBO chief Josefa Ylanan said no permit was issued for the bunkhouse that collapsed.

She said the bunkhouse that collapsed had a weak foundation.

"Ang ingon sa atong inspector, dili gyud angay puy-anan so the structure is built for the purposes other than being habituated, dili mapuy-an og tawo, kay ang height sa iya is four feet so mubo and it has no strong foundation kay pulos scaffolds," she said.

Clair Cabalda, chief of the city’s business permit and licensing section, also said that the construction firm also failed to secure a building permit for the bunkhouse, something that the city legal office said may be a ground for the filing of charges against the firm.

"Under the building code, any building for that matter nga imong itukod, magkinahanglan gyud ka og building permit. That is the rule nga duna kay building whatever sizes, magamay o madako, for as long as you are erecting or building structure," said City Legal Attorney Joseph Bernaldez.

At the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), however, Regional Director Cyril Ticao said he cannot order the closure of the construction project because the incident did not happen exactly at the project site.

"No, I cannot issue a closure order kasi yung bunkhouse is not located at the project site," he said.

He said he has sent his Labor Laws Compliance Officer to check if the contractor is compliant with labor laws and if the firm is attending to the victims. —Odessa O. Leyson, Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon (FREEMAN)