At least four construction workers died on the job in the first week of April. Kilusang Mayo Uno said that their employers should be made accountable for their non-compliance with the standards for work safety, while extending condolences to the workers’ families.

Among those reported by KMU is the case of Allen Glen Malab who died after being buried in soil in Antipolo on April 1. Tons of soil collapsed at the site of the house they were constructing. In addition to Malab, four other workers were injured.

On April 2, a construction worker was impaled by steel after slipping on the construction site. Workers on this site do not have any safety equipment. The next day, two workers at Herma Shipyard Incorporated died when an engine exploded at the factory in Mariveles, Bataan.

According to the latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the construction sector recorded 3,870 cases of workplace accidents in construction companies employing 20 workers or more in 2019. At least 58 workers died in these accidents, while five were permanently incapacitated.

Throughout that year, 40,892 worker injuries were reported across all labor sectors. The incidence of accidents is highest in the manufacturing sector (17,454), followed by administrative and support services (4,538) and third in construction.