Authorities are set to investigate a few Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu City that forced their employees to return to work inside buildings immediately after the deadly earthquake struck northern Cebu late evening on September 30, 2025.

Complaints were raised by employees against a few BPO firms that barred them from going home, and demanded that they return immediately to their respective workstations and resume taking calls.

In his social media account, Cebu City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña expressed his desire to have the complaints investigated. He posted a chat message of a team leader (TL) who demanded that employees go back to work after the shaking.

Should employees resist, the TL threatened that they will be marked "Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL)."

Osmeña vowed to have the reports verified, as he himself will file a complaint at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 7 against team leaders and companies involved.

According to the BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN) Cebu, they received several complaints from BPO workers in Metro Cebu the night the powerful earthquake rocked the province. 

“Ang pinakagrabe nga kaso nga nadawat namo kay kadtong samtang naglinog kay gipa-take gihapon sila og calls sa usa ka BPO company ug lain pa, pagbakwit sa mga employees kay gi-blockingan or gi-alihan ang exit sa ilang office…ang uban pa ani kay pag-threaten sa mga employees nga mo-assert sa ilang katungod through safe work, i-threaten sila with notice to explain,” John Kyle Enero, spokesperson of BIEN-Cebu, said.

The group filed a complaint at DOLE 7 on October 2, 2025.

“Kay para namo dili siya pwede nga business as usual lang, dapat unta gibuhat sa companies kay gi-ensure ang welfare and safety sa mga empleyado nila, but beyond the responsibility of these companies involved kay ang responsibilities pod unta sa government nga mo-act decisively panahon sa usa ka emergency situation,” Enero pointed out.

In an interview by GMA Regional TV Balitang Bisdak with Atty. Roy Buenafe, DOLE 7 director, he said they will set a probe on the incident.

“Kun mobisita man ang atong kaigsoonan nga BPO workers aron pagyagyag sa ilang reklamo, right then and there ato pod na ipatawag ang management aron mahibaw-an pod nato ila habig,” Buenafe said.

Buenafe reminds companies of the context of the labor advisory.

“Tanang kalamidad, bagyo man, linog, dili pwede mapugos ang atong nga empleyado nga mo-report sa ilang gitrabahoan labi na kun dunay imminent danger sa ilang life, ilang kinabuhi dili na siya pwede himoong ground for disciplinary action, dili pwedeng suspenso-on, i-terminate kay wala mosulod,” Buenafe stressed.