West Super Block Project

Involved Parties: Makati Development Corporation (MDC and Fastem Construction, Inc.)

Location: West Super Block Project on 5th Avenue Corner 28th Street, Taguig City

Proponent: Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)

Number of Casualties: 2 Dead and 11 Injured

Date of Accident: February 2015

I. Background

Safety and health are no insignificant matters. More often than not, especially in risky

workplaces where accidents can happen any time, they are a matter of life and death. Therefore,

complying with the OSH regulations or other regulating agencies and following fully to the

accepted standards are a must. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is mandated

by our national government as the division in charge in ascertaining that the OSH regulations

and accepted standards are being followed and strictly implemented in site and that the building

developers, contractors, or anyone given the position to supervise or manage a construction

project will abide to the provisions in order to ensure safety and health of their laborers.

Moreover, the national government also tasked the aforementioned agency to continue formulate

and implement policies and programs to cope with the ever-present change in the society.

In February 2015, DOLE brought down an order to stop the work of then ongoing

construction project at Taguig because of a fatal accident that had transpired when a shoring on
the second floor of a building on which concrete was being poured collapsed. The incident took

away 2 lives and injured 11 others.

The Makati Development Corporations and Fastem Construction, Inc., the contractors of

this project, were brought into questioning and the case was put to investigation in order to

identify who were liable for the accident on January 14, 2015.

II. Cast of Characters

Owner / Developer

- The owner of the The Suites, a part of the West Super Block Project, is BG West

Properties, Inc. and Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation located at 5th Avenue

corner 28th Street, Taguig City

Main Contractor

- The main contractor of The Suites hotel is the Makati Development Corporation (MDC). They

are known for construction excellence in the following areas: 1. Safety, 2. Quality Products,

People and Processes, 3. Timely Delivery, 4. Cost Efficiency, and 5. Sustainable Construction or

called the SQTCS. According to initial reports, MDC was only able to secure only one

approved Construction Safety and Health Program (CSHP) of their seventeen (17) ongoing

projects in the NCR alone. That compelled DOLE, despite the corporations reputation, to take

into consideration that they are responsible for the accident.

Sub Contractor

- The sub-contractor that was hired by MDC is the Fastem Construction, Inc.

Government Authorities
 - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which during the time of accident

was headed by Regional Director Alex Avila.

- Labor and employment secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, who after the time of

accident urged the construction companies, firms and building developers to ensure

safety and health in their workplaces. She also condoled with the bereaved families and

assured the families of those involved in the accident of the benefits that are due them.

Casualties

- The incident cost 2 lives of workers namely Renan dela Cruz, 32, and Ruben Racraquin,

and left 11 others injured.

III. Statement of the Problem

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) approved the safety and health

programs of Makati Development Corporation (MDC). Therefore, the certifications ensure

the safety of the laborers and health and passed minimum standard safety of a workplace. If

OSH regulations and adhering fully accepted constructions standards are followed, then why

is that the scaffolding and the floor slab of the building collapsed which supposed to be

properly observed and checked by a safety engineer. The workers who were squashed to

death were at the bottom of the part of the building that collapsed. They were serving as look

outs at that time.

 Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) are now

condemning the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for sleeping on the job

which is their way of saying that the agency was slacking on their job and being ineffective.

According to them, the occurrence of accidents in workplaces may have been curtailed and

prevented if they only they do their jobs well particularly in conducting safety inspections

before and after issuing building and construction permits.

IV. Ethical Response

Makati Development Corporation is known for their SQPTS mission which is an

abbreviation for 1. Safety, 2. Quality Products, People and Processes, 3. Timely Delivery, 4.

Cost Efficiency, and 5. Sustainable Construction. Being one of the most eminent and biggest

contractors in the country, they owe it to their clients and to the general public to make sure
that these missions are carried out. They have the necessary resources to make sure these are

being implemented in all their projects after all. However, this accident, although not the first

of its kind, bore that MDC is a business and is predominantly lead by businessmen whose

main intent is to make profit. Based on the initial reports led by the DOLE-NCR, they found

out that out of the 17 ongoing projects handled by MDS at that time in NCR, only one has an

approved Construction Safety and Health Program. However, despite the lack of this

important program, all of these projects are ongoing at that time. So, maybe, this is also a

wake up call for DOLE to be more efficient on their jobs and be more stern in the

implementations of their regulations to prevent this type of accidents to happen.

MDC, despite not being able to secure CSHP, gave very speedy and immediate

response after the accident. They were very open to cooperate in the investigation and fast in

giving support to those people affected by the accident. MDC, a few days after the accident,

also submitted its DOLE-approved Construction Safety and Health Program, including the

composition of its Safety Committee, and the list of all its subcontractors20 in all

engaged in the West Super Block Project. It has also submitted a Demolition Works

Methodology for the collapsed floor slabs, and showed photos on the conduct of a one-day

safety orientation on-site. The MDC also submitted a copy of memorandum endorsing 132

workers on the West Super Block project to the project management teams of MDCs two

ongoing projects for temporary assignment effective 9 February until the resumption of

operation at the WSB project. With regards the 11 injured workers, MDC and Fastem

reported that three (3) of them were discharged the other day from St. Lukes Hospital-

Global City; and presented an official receipt for the payment of P138,367.73 in hospital

bills. All in all, Fastem had spent P251,475.85 for the hospitalisation of the 11 injured
workers. This may not mean much to some, but it meant a lot to the family of those affected

by this accident.

V. Conclusions and Recommendations

With regards to the families of the workers who were injured and killed by the accident,

MDC has appropriated necessary compensations to aid those who were injureds

hospitalization and took care of the funeral services of those who died. They also gave

monetary support to the bereaved families.

If viewed objectively, no matter how hard one try in making sure that no accidents will

occur in the workplace, there is no formula nor a definite guideline that will assure that this

ideal will come into reality. The best thing that one can do is to make sure that all necessary

precautions are observed in order to minimize the chances of these accidents from happening.

Safety is a collaborative effort. The contractor alone cannot ensure safety, even if he

exhaust all his effort and resources at his disposal. There should be a mutual effort between

the regulating agency, owner, contractor, and the workers in order to make sure maximum

safety is achieved and to minimalize the chance of accidents

VI. References

DOLE (2015, February 4). DOLE halts MDC work at Taguig City construction site after

accident kills 2 workers, injures 11 others. Retrieved September 15, 2016 from

http://www.dole.gov.ph/news/view/2714

MDC. Makati Development Corporation: OUR COMMITMENT, Our Mission.

Retrieved September 15, 2016 from http://www.mdc.com.ph/our-commitment/our-

mission