Construction compliance in Metro Manila rises 11%, but OSH gaps persist: DOLE-NCR
The Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region reported an 11% increase in compliance among construction establishments in 2026. Despite the improvement, occupational safety and health compliance remains low, with only 1.92% of establishments initially meeting OSH standards.
The Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region (DOLE-NCR) said compliance among construction establishments increased by 11 per cent in 2026, although gaps in occupational safety and health (OSH) remain. The agency’s high-impact, high-visibility inspection campaign, which covers 52 inspections, 698 monitoring activities and eight joint monitoring and inspection activities, has reached 15,692 construction workers in the National Capital Region.
DOLE-NCR PAPAMAMARISAN (Pasig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, Marikina, San Juan) Field Office OIC-director Julita DG. Mendoza said the latest monitoring and inspection data showed the 11 per cent increase in compliance. However, initial data showed the compliance rate stood at 36.54 per cent for general labor standards (GLS) and just 1.92 per cent for OSH. For construction-site inspections, the agency recorded 19 establishments complying with GLS, 33 initially complying with GLS, and one complying with OSH, while 51 establishments were initially not complying with OSH.
DOLE-NCR Quezon City Field Office director Rowella V. Grande explained that monitoring and inspection serve different functions. “Monitoring is an exploratory developmental approach towards compliance,” she said. During monitoring, inspectors use a checklist to identify deficiencies at construction sites, which are not immediately treated as violations, giving establishments time to correct them. If establishments fail or refuse to address deficiencies, they may undergo a full-blown inspection, and noncompliance may become a case under DOLE’s regulatory function.
Ms. Grande said establishments that fail to comply within the 90-day period may face stricter measures, with penalties ranging from P5,000 to P100,000 depending on the violation. Common findings include deficiencies in construction safety and health programs, required safety personnel, personal protective equipment, safety signages and barricades, and electrical safety, as well as blackout and timeout procedures, and first-aid and medical facilities. For general labor standards, the agency monitors payment of applicable wages, overtime pay, holiday pay and premium pay, as well as SSS coverage, health certificates and employment records.
National Union of Building and Construction Workers labor sector vice-chair Santiago V. Nolla said the 11 per cent increase was positive but stressed the need to further improve enforcement. He pointed to the limited number of inspectors compared with the number of establishments and construction projects. Mr. Nolla also called for partnerships with labor organizations to help identify construction projects and firms that may be violating existing laws. “We won’t just wait for the results of the inspection. We want to be able to help because we want to be a part of the progress,” he said.
DOLE-NCR assistant regional director Jude Thomas P. Trayvilla said the agency is exploring the use of drones in construction inspections through partnerships that provide training on drone-assisted inspection. The agency is also preparing additional inspectors and providing training for construction-related inspection work. Mr. Trayvilla stressed that inspection should not primarily be viewed as punitive. “The inspection itself is not punitive. It is actually a regulatory power,” he said, adding that OSH violations can result in heavy penalties because penalties under the OSH law are accounted daily.
