Construction works at condo towers suspended after laborer’s death

Local

THE tragic death of a construction worker, caused by a falling pipe, has prompted city authorities to halt operations at two condominium towers in Barangay Zapatera in Cebu City.

The Cebu City Office of the Building Official (OBO) suspended construction activities at Towers B and D of the multi-tower complex after a galvanized iron (GI) pipe fell from the 22nd floor and fatally struck 26-year-old mason Julito Bacus Gerada Jr. while he was working on the eighth floor.

The suspension issued on Wednesday, June 11, was ordered after the incident exposed alarming safety lapses in the ongoing high-rise project.

Gerada, a native of Barangay Biga in Toledo City, was reportedly conducting plastering work at the time of the incident. He suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, but was declared dead on arrival.

City Building Official Architect Florante Catalan said they ordered the immediate suspension of construction as soon as they received word of the incident early Tuesday.

“Nadungog namo sa news ganihang buntag nga nahulog daw ang construction worker. Amo dayon gi-order ang suspension aron maadto namo,” Catalan told reporters.

Initial findings from the OBO’s on-site inspection revealed that the pipe that struck Gerada was part of a temporary safety setup used to secure work areas per floor. The pipe may have fallen during its removal on the upper levels.

“Naay ga-plastering sa eighth floor, naay nahulog nga tubo gikan sa 22nd floor. Support unta to nga tubo kada floor. Base sa ilang safety officer, wala lang gyud naampingi pagkuha, mao niabot nga nahulog,” Catalan said.

Despite the use of a hard hat, the impact was too strong.

“Ang tubo nga among nakita, naay dugo. Ang hard hat naigo sa likod. Maski unsa pa ka lig-on ang helmet, kung gikan sa 22nd floor, [impas] gyud.”

Catalan said they found more problems during their inspection, not only at Tower D, where the incident occurred, but also at Tower B, which had a similar construction setup.

“Halos pareho og setup ang Tower B ug Tower D, mao nga amo sab gi-suspend ang Tower B. Ang duha among gi-order og suspension,” Catalan said.

They also discovered that the site’s gondola and tower crane had expired permits.

“Sad to say, expired ang permits. Dili pa sila pwede gamiton hangtod ma-renew. Pwede ra mugamit og hagdanan samtang mag-process pa sila,” Catalan said. “Dili unta kalimtan sa mga contractor ang pag-monitor og permits. Required gyud ni yearly.”

Catalan emphasized that both the installation and operation of mechanical equipment like cranes and gondolas require valid permits, and developers or contractors may face penalties for lapses.

“Duha kabuok permit ang kinahanglan—permit to install ug permit to operate. Kung wala na, violation na. Maximum penalty ani kay P10,000,” he said.

The OBO has given the contractor and developer five working days to submit an incident report, proposed safety improvements, and a justification to lift the suspension.

In the meantime, workers can only continue operations in the other three towers that were not affected.

“Gi-suspend namo ang construction sa Tower B ug D. Nangayo ta og incident report, mitigation measures, ug justification aron i-review kung pwede ba i-lift ang suspension,” Catalan said.

He added that responsibility for the worker’s death and the violations ultimately falls on the project’s developer and building owner.

“Ang tanan nga mga owner ug developer sa condo project, sila gyud ang manubag. Dili ni kalikayan kung dili mo-monitor og tarong ang contractor.”

Police and labor inspectors are still investigating whether there was negligence or failure to comply with safety regulations.

On June 10, project safety officer Marvin Gentapa formally reported the incident to police late in the afternoon. Investigators are looking into whether standard safety procedures, including work coordination and protective measures, were properly followed.

Earlier data from the Department of Labor and Employment-Central Visayas (DOLE-7) showed that construction sites remain the most hazardous workplaces in the region, with many deaths linked to falling objects, falls from heights, electrocution, and structural collapses.(TGP)