Image courtesy of BIEN Cebu

On September 30, 2025, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Cebu and much of the Visayas in the Philippines. Cebu, one of the country’s leading outsourcing hubs outside Metro Manila, was hit critically. Since then, more than 9,037 aftershocks have rattled the region (Data as of October 8, 2025; 9:00 AM), hospitals have been stretched thin, and the death toll has tragically climbed to 72.

In the middle of this crisis, another developing story surfaced: allegations that 30 Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu forced employees to keep working during and after the earthquake. Reports included claims that one firm blocked exits, another required staff to keep taking calls, and that employees were pressured to return to work the very next morning or risk being tagged as AWOL.

For an industry that thrives on people, this is more than a compliance issue. It is a human issue.

What the Law Demands: Protection First

The Republic Act No. 11058: Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSH Standards) strengthens standards across all workplaces and penalizes non-compliance. It guarantees employees the right to know about hazards, the right to refuse unsafe work, and the right to a safe and healthful workplace.

That means employers cannot force employees to work during earthquakes or in unsafe conditions. Doing so doesn’t just risk reputational fallout, but also carries real legal consequences, especially if unsafe directives cause injury or death.

For workers in Cebu, filing complaints with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is more than justified. It’s a reminder to businesses everywhere: when disaster strikes, the law is clear, people’s safety comes first.

To put it simply: no target, client call, or KPI is more important than someone’s life.

The Real Cost of Ignoring Compliance

Moments like this show why compliance can’t be treated as a box-ticking exercise. The cost of dismissing it can be broken down into two clear areas:

1. Legal and financial penalties. Employers can be fined, sanctioned, or even shut down for OSH violations.
   
2. Erosion of trust and reputation. When workers feel disposable, loyalty collapses. In global industries like outsourcing, this doesn’t just affect one office, but it also sends a message across borders about how employees are valued.
   

Compliance is not just about avoiding penalties. It is about protecting relationships, preserving trust, and showing that businesses put people first.

Compliance as Care

At Filta, we see compliance as a human commitment. Our work in the Philippines and Colombia has shown us that businesses succeed when they put people first and back it with compliance.

Here’s how we help our clients do it:

• We keep you informed. When disasters or crises strike, like Cebu’s earthquake, we update clients on what their teams are experiencing and what labor laws demand. Context matters when you’re leading global teams.
  
• We bring in expertise. Our compliance experts track legal updates, labor rulings, and OSH standards so your business is never caught off guard.
  
• We design roles responsibly. From contracts to policies, we help formalize safe, flexible, and compliant work environments. That way, compliance strengthens operations instead of slowing them down.
  
• We preserve relationships. Compliance isn’t just about avoiding penalties, it’s also about protecting trust. When workers feel safe and valued, engagement and performance naturally follow.
  

With Filta, businesses not only stay legally compliant but also build stronger, more human connections with their teams.

The Bigger Lesson for Global Employers

The Cebu earthquake isn’t just a natural disaster, it’s a leadership test. 

Forcing employees to keep working in dangerous conditions crosses a line that no employer should ever approach.

For us, compliance is the baseline, but compassion is the multiplier. Employers who see compliance as care (not just a requirement) build cultures that thrive in the long run.

Work Is Better When It’s Done the Right Way

Work should never come at the expense of safety. What happened in Cebu reminds us that compliance is for and about the people. When companies treat workers as human first, not just as resources, they protect more than reputations. They protect relationships, trust, and the future of their business.

At Filta, we help businesses stay compliant not only to avoid fines but to do right by their people. Because when safety and trust come first, everything else – engagement, performance, loyalty – follows.

Want to learn how to build safer, stronger, and compliant global teams? Visit filtaglobal.com and book a free consultation today.

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➡️ And if you’d like to extend help to Cebu, feel free to do so by supporting organizations on the ground that are assisting victims and rebuilding efforts. Every contribution counts.