Jamaine Punzalan

An aerial view of the collapsed nine-story building under construction in Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, taken on May 26, 2026. Authorities announced on Monday that they have shifted to search and retrieval operations for the remaining 17 missing workers after hours of detecting no signs of life in the rubble.  Ryan Evangelista, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

PAMPANGA BUILDING COLLAPSE

Andrea Taguines

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/177985313647820260526-pampanga-building-collapse-RE10.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">An aerial view of the collapsed nine-story building under construction in Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, taken on May 26, 2026. Authorities announced on Monday that they have shifted to search and retrieval operations for the remaining 17 missing workers after hours of detecting no signs of life in the rubble.  Ryan Evangelista, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Newly-appointed Labor Acting Secretary Francis Tolentino said his agency needed more inspectors and stricter enforcement of workplace safety standards, following the deadly collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Angeles City, Pampanga.</p><p>Tolentino personally visited ground zero in Barangay Balibago on Wednesday, where he also met with Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional officials.</p><p>Among the red flags cited by Tolentino was the presence of construction workers’ barracks inside the actual project site.</p><p>He also said laborers’ families should not have been allowed to stay there with them.</p><p>“Maliwanag yun e, yung barracks wala dapat sa loob ng premises, labas yun,” he said.</p><p>“Maliwanag din na hindi dapat isama yung pamilya nung construction workers sa loob. They don’t have a right to be there. Although siguro ginagawa ng mga construction worker yun para mas matipid sila, doon na rin kakain yung pamilya nila pero delikado, lalong lalo na may bata,” added Tolentino.</p><p>The labor chief said some construction firms could have gotten away with such practices in the past due to the lack of DOLE inspectors.</p><p>“Dito sa Region 3, 7,000 ang ongoing construction. Ang labor inspector teams natin ay 38. Construction lang yun. Paano yung mga restaurants, hotels, other establishments? Hindi lahat mai-inspect kaya minsan nakakalusot,” Tolentino said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/5/27/victims-kin-demand-accountability-from-owner-contractor-in-pampanga-building-collapse-0726">Victims&#x27; kin demand accountability from owner, contractor in Pampanga building collapse </a></div><p>Labor department inspectors also <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/5/25/collapsed-pampanga-building-issued-work-stoppage-order-last-year-over-safety-violations-dole-1159">shut the site down briefly</a> in September 2024 over occupational safety standards violations.</p><p>Tolentino said he gave DOLE’s investigating team until June 12 to determine if the contractor, Golden Years Construction Company, indeed complied with labor regulations after the stoppage order, and other possible liabilities.</p><p>“P100,000 (in fines) yun a day, yung mga grave violation tsaka pwedeng ipasara,” he noted.</p><p>As of Tuesday night, authorities reported around 47 affected individuals, including 26 rescued survivors and four confirmed fatalities, while approximately 16 others remained unaccounted for and were believed trapped beneath the debris.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2026/5/26/dole-official-to-face-suspension-over-pampanga-building-collapse-1159">DOLE official faces suspension over Pampanga building collapse</a></div><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse</strong></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/qldFuyj8ntQ?&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/2zio6HABriE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Labor Acting Secretary Francis Tolentino inspected Wednesday the site where a nine-story building collapsed in Angeles City, Pampanga. </p>

Labor Acting Secretary Francis Tolentino inspected Wednesday the site where a nine-story building collapsed in Angeles City, Pampanga.

New DOLE chief: Workers’ barracks should not be inside construction sites

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New DOLE chief: Workers’ barracks should not be inside construction sites

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 27, 2026 11:41 AM PHT

|

Updated May 27, 2026 04:04 PM PHT

Read More:

DOLE

Pampanga

building collapse

Francis Tolentino

construction site collapse

Angeles City

Golden Years Construction Company

labor inspectors

occupational safety and health standards

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