Davao City 1st District Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata, Chair of the Committee on Civil, Political and Human rights, Labor and Employment urges Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies to uphold the safety, dignity and rights of their workers following the twin earthquakes that struck the city on October 10, 2025.
During her privilege speech at the Sangguniang Panglungsod, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, Morata said that the ‘business as usual’ policy puts BPO workers in detriment because natural calamities like earthquakes cannot be predicted and the aftermath should at least give clear guidelines to employees.
Morata added that workers were pressured to return to their buildings despite pending structural inspections. Other employees who have work-at-home setups were given little time to retrieve their equipment and received no clear memorandum on internet reimbursements. They were also expected to login and take calls immediately at the start of their 9 pm shift.
With over 85,000 employees in the local BPO sector, the councilor emphasized the urgent need for clear company policies and recognition of the right of employees to prioritize their welfare during natural calamities.
“Mandated sa balaud na maskin unsaon na pwede gud mo, katungod nimo nga mugawas og feel nimo nga dili ka safe anang lugara. Isip empleyado, pwede ragud ka nga dli ka mubalik (It is mandated by law that no matter what, you have the right to go out if you feel that you are not safe in that place. As an employee, you can choose not to return to the building),” she later told Pulong Pulong sa Dabawenyos on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
Morata said that the twin tremors, recorded at magnitudes 7.4 and 6.7 disrupted operations across Davao and just like other workers, BPO workers are not fire-proof or earthquake-proof.
“Atung committee pod no nagatutok pod sa kahimtang sa trabahante dili lang particular sa bpo nato na empleyado kundi sa kadaghanan nga na apektohan dili lang pisikal, mental na nga side sa mga trabahante tungod sa nahitabo nga calamidad sa atoa (Our committee is focusing on the condition of the workers, not only of our BPO employees but also the majority of those who are affected not only physically, but also mentally because of the calamity that happened to us),” she added.
She also said that employees should be given clear guidelines to work shifts, refund for fare and internet installation for those who do not have connections at home, overtime pay and hazard pay.
On October 21, 2025, the councilor passed a resolution aimed at providing protection to BPO workers in Davao City by ensuring their safety and dignity in times of calamity.
The resolution also states that BPO workers have the rights and address specific issues such as health impacts from night shifts, overtime, and unique work arrangements.
“Atung iduso karon nga ordinansa sa katung napasa na workers protection, mas atoa pa siyang ma enhance para ma protektahan atung mga trabahante labi na sa panahon sa kalamidad (We will now push for an ordinance, in addition to workers’ protection that had been passed, we will enhance it to protect our workers especially during calamities),” she said. CIO
