DAVAO CITY, Philippines—More than 300 workers of Davao Mighty Steel Corp. (DMS) lost their jobs after government authorities shut down the facility in Barangay Ilang, Bunawan, Davao City, following a raid that uncovered alleged radioactive materials and substandard steel products.
At a Bagong Pilipinas interview on Aug. 24, Police Lt. Col. Michelle Olaivar, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) media affairs relations officer, said the Aug. 13 operation was conducted with a search warrant. Authorities described the operation as rescuing 174 workers from an industrial environment containing radioactive-bearing materials, dust, fumes, wastes and production residues that could pose risks of continued occupational exposure.
Olaivar disclosed that 14 people were arrested including 10 Chinese nationals and four Filipinos. Details on the foreign workers are pending further investigation, including the legality of their stay in the country. Twenty-one individuals have been charged and are under investigation while seven remain at large.
She said DMS could still operate pending its compliance with government requirements.
For the workers, labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR) said the operation’s aftermath brought the sudden loss of livelihood, pending wages and no clear assurance on whether they could return to work.
The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) reported more than 200 affected workers went to Davao City Hall on Aug. 17 to seek assistance after the plant’s closure.
Their situation was also raised by Davao City First District Councilor Pamela Librado-Morata in a privilege speech before the City Council on Aug. 18.
“We’re down to the scraping of the pot, Councilor. In these hard times, where will we work now? Where is the rescue that happened if we all at Mighty Steel lost our livelihood and there is no support?” said Librado-Morata in Cebuano, quoting one worker who sought City Council assistance.
From reports of substandard steel to a raid
The raid followed an investigation into reports that the company was manufacturing and distributing substandard reinforcing steel bars.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted surveillance and examined DMS-branded rebars purchased from hardware stores across Mindanao. Four of eight samples failed the mandatory mass-variation requirement under Philippine National Standard (PNS) 49:2020.
The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) detected radioactive isotopes in commercially distributed DMS rebars and in materials inside the facility including uranium-238, thorium-228, thorium-232 and radium-226.
The NBI said in an Aug. 28 Facebook post that the company and its personnel lacked authority to acquire, possess, use, store, transfer or handle nuclear or radioactive materials.
The operation came amid concerns over DMS-marked rebars found in structures that collapsed during the June 8 magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao. The NBI stressed that their presence in the rubble does not establish the steel caused the collapses, which remain under engineering assessment.
The NBI referred the cases to the Department of Justice (DOJ) against individuals involved in DMS operations for possible violations of Republic Act No. 12305, or the Philippine National Nuclear Energy Safety Act; Republic Act No. 6969, or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act; Presidential Decree No. 1586, or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System; and Republic Act No. 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines.
‘Where is the rescue?’
Librado-Morata said that of the more than 200 workers who sought assistance at City Hall, many had spent three to 10 years working for the company.
“Their immediate demand is for Davao Mighty Steel to release their pending two weeks’ salary. Nobody from the management gave an advisory or official statement on salaries, employment status or the next steps,” the councilor said in her privilege speech.
KMU-SMR said the DMS workers received unclear information about employment status and how they would support their families after the shutdown.
“If this was truly a rescue operation, where is the rescue for workers who now face unemployment, uncertainty and the prospect of feeding their families without a steady income?” KMU-SMR said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The labor group said the workers described fear during the operation, alleging heavily armed personnel entered the facility at night and ordered employees to line up. Some reported personal belongings, including phones and cash, were taken.
Government agencies have since begun coordinating assistance. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Davao Region said it was preparing food, cash and livelihood assistance. The agency has also assessed affected workers and families for longer-term support through its Sustainable Livelihood Program.
Government agencies are discussing a one-stop assistance site for affected workers, according to an inter-agency meeting information obtained by Davao Today. The proposed arrangement would provide free medical checkups through the City Health Office (CHO) and employment assistance through a special job fair organized by the Public Employment Service Office (PESO).
Discussions include possible DSWD assistance for workers who are non-residents of Davao City.
Beyond temporary aid
For Librado-Morata, the case exposed what happens when workers suddenly lose income through circumstances beyond their control.
Her office is studying a Workers’ Emergency Lifeline Ordinance to allow the Davao City government to provide temporary assistance to workers whose jobs are disrupted by sudden events.
“These may include calamities, pandemics, or enforcement actions resulting in the suspension or closure of operations, and other similar emergency situations that would result in denial of employment,” Librado-Morata said.
She said the immediate goal for DMS workers should be helping them return to work (davaotoday.com)
