The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has upheld an ₱11.49-million financial liability against the contractor associated with the disastrous building collapse in Angeles City, Pampanga last May.
In a statement released Saturday, labor officials confirmed that Golden Years Construction and Steelworks Corporation, along with Ernest Jackson Lim, remain accountable for unpaid worker entitlements and severe occupational safety and health (OSH) infractions.
The total liability includes ₱1.17 million earmarked for unpaid salaries during a Work Stoppage Order, wage underpayments, holiday pay, and rest day premium differentials. The remaining ₱10.32 million consists of administrative penalties triggered by OSH non-compliance preceding the May 24 disaster, in which a nine-storey condominium structure collapsed onto a neighboring hotel, resulting in 30 deaths.
Signed by Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on August 17, the recent ruling modifies an earlier June 2026 order. Officials affirmed that the labor claims were valid, noting in a statement that they find the personnel’s demands “meritorious, including their entitlement to rest day premium and unpaid wages.”
Furthermore, DOLE dismissed the contractor’s claims regarding a violation of due process, categorizing their defense as “untenable” after confirming the respondents were “duly notified and given reasonable opportunities to explain their side and present supporting evidence.”
Inspectors uncovered “a pattern of persistent and willful non-compliance with OSH standards,” detailing infractions such as unequipped workers lacking personal protective gear, missing permits for heavy mechanical lifts, absent safety officers and medical personnel, and a failure to provide temporary living quarters.
The company and its representative have been ordered to settle all financial liabilities and penalties within 10 days of receiving the official resolution.