source: https://www.timedoctor.com/blog/bpo-companies-in-the-philippines/

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Raffy Tulfo urged the Department of Labor and Employment to create a dedicated unit to monitor business process outsourcing firms’ compliance with workplace safety standards during a Senate labor committee hearing on proposals to strengthen protections for BPO workers, Jan. 21, 2026.

Tulfo raised the proposal after the BPO Industry Employees Network flagged alleged occupational safety and health violations, including claims that some workers were told to keep working during a 2025 earthquake in Cebu and that employees were not given welfare checks after a fire incident in a Manila office. BIEN said it filed a complaint with DOLE in October 2025.

“Maganda mayroon tayong unit sa DOLE para mag-monitor sa mga BPO companies para ma-make sure na sumusunod sila sa safety standards,” Tulfo said. He added that closer monitoring could help ensure companies follow safety requirements, especially during emergencies.

DOLE officials welcomed the proposal, citing the existing BPO Industry Tripartite Council as the platform where government, employers and workers craft policies for the sector.

The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (ITBPAP), however, denied widespread workplace safety violations. It said findings in Cebu were limited to the lack of full-time physicians and full-time nurses.

DOLE Regional Office 7 has halted the operations of one BPO firm due to the absence of emergency and disaster preparedness plans, underscoring the agency’s enforcement efforts as scrutiny grows over workplace safety in a sector that remains among the country’s largest employers.