Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Construction workers on top of an unfinished building in Makati on August 24, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Allison Co

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176429550784320220824-building-skyline-construction-GC-9.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Construction workers on top of an unfinished building in Makati on August 24, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Around 100,000 Filipino workers have been affected by the cancellation of licenses of contractors tied to the flood control issue. </p><p>This was confirmed by Sen. Win Gatchalian, budget sponsor of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE), during the Senate deliberations on the agency&#x27;s 2026 budget on Thursday.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/27/rep-gardiola-breaks-silence-on-flood-control-corruption-issue-welcomes-probe-1219">Rep. Gardiola denies involvement in anomalous flood control projects</a></div><p>“With this flood control issue, admittedly, [the construction industry] actually slowed down. We are seeing a slow down in our economic growth and that will also translate into more jobs that will be lost in the next few months if the decline in the construction industry continues,” Gatchalian explained.</p><p>During her interpellation, Senator Risa Hontiveros asked about DOLE’s plans to address this pressing concern.</p><p>“Ibig sabihin, 100,000 na pamilya na apektado at talagang umaasa sa urgent at long term solutions,” she said. </p><p>“Ano po ang ginagawa niyong hakbang ng Department? May plano ba silang nakahanda sa mga apektadong workers, contractors nawalan ng trabaho dahil sa pagkansela ng kanilang mga lisensya sa ilalim ng Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board?”</p><p>(This means 100,000 families are affected and are really relying on urgent and long-term solutions…What steps is the Department taking? Do they have plans ready for the affected workers and contractors who lost their jobs due to the cancellation of their licenses under the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board?)</p><p>Gatchalian responded by outlining DOLE’s temporary assistance measures and reskilling and upskilling programs in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/18/dpwh-initiating-warranty-claims-vs-ghost-substandard-flood-control-projects-1005">DPWH initiating warranty claims vs ghost, substandard flood control projects</a></div><p>“Meron po silang ugnayan with mga association ng mga contractors because admittedly mayroong slow down in our construction industry. Meron din po silang mga temporary employment assistance doon sa mga temporary displaced na construction workers. Marami sa mga construction workers, hindi naman sila regular employees marami dito ay mga contractual employees so meron silang mga temporary work assistance. Meron din po silang mga convergence programs with TESDA in so far as reskilling and upskilling.” </p><p>(They are coordinating with contractor associations because there is admittedly a slowdown in the construction industry. They also offer temporary employment assistance to temporarily displaced workers… They also have convergence programs with TESDA for reskilling and upskilling.)</p><p>“Ang importante lang dito…ay yung construction industry itself ay makipag-ugnayan sa DOLE kung merong mga displacement because of this flood control issue,” he emphasized. </p><p>(What’s important is for the construction industry itself to coordinate with DOLE if there are displacements due to the flood control issue)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/27/marcos-optimistic-philippine-economy-will-recover-by-2026-1516">Marcos optimistic Philippine economy will &#x27;recover&#x27; by 2026</a></div><p>Gatchalian also noted the Department’s increasing job search programs that redirect employment opportunities from the government to the private sector.</p><p>“Mayroon po silang mga ganoong activities para ma-rechannel natin yung mga construction workers working in government. Baka merong available na trabaho sa private sectors kasi ang construction naman in the private sector hindi affected. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang growth in the private sector,” he said. </p><p>(They have activities that allow us to rechannel construction workers employed in government projects… Growth in the private sector continues.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BEYOND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Earlier in the deliberations, Senator Joel Villanueva also pointed out the overall worsening unemployment and underemployment in the country.</p><p>“In July of this year 2025, the unemployment surged to 5.3 percent and this is the highest since the pandemic while underemployment also climbed to 14.8 percent,” Villanueva said.</p><p>Gatchalian clarified that such stems from multiple sectors and not just the current setback in the construction industry.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/13/marcos-flood-corruption-suspects-to-be-jailed-before-christmas-1046">Marcos: Flood control corruption suspects to be jailed &#x27;before Christmas&#x27;</a></div><p>“The employment losses [also] came from [the sectors of] administrative and support service activities, manufacturing, transportation and storage, public administration, defense.&quot;</p><p>He then highlighted &quot;bright lights&quot; amid the current crisis, noting increased employment in fishing and agriculture by 26 percent, human health and social work by 28 percent, and agriculture and forestry by 1.4 percent.</p><p>“Dati nakikita natin madalas ang agriculture experiences negative growth but this time around we’re seeing bright spots in agriculture but this is before the typhoons we experienced in the fourth quarter. But prior to the fourth quarter, agriculture seems like it is reviving,” Gatchalian added. </p><p>(Before, we often saw agriculture experience negative growth, but this time we’re seeing bright spots… agriculture seems to be reviving.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CTz8aDj5HNQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl1daHU6e7M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Around 100,000 Filipino workers have been affected by the cancellation of licenses of contractors tied to the flood control issue.</p>

Around 100,000 Filipino workers have been affected by the cancellation of licenses of contractors tied to the flood control issue.

100,000 workers affected by cancelled projects due to flood control mess

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100,000 workers affected by cancelled projects due to flood control mess

Allison Co,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 28, 2025 10:09 AM PHT

Read More:

Senate

Unemployment

DOLE

TESDA

Risa Hontiveros

Win Gatchalian

Joel Villanueva

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