DAVAO CITY — Hundreds of laborers working for JV Angeles Construction Corporation here are up in arms against the company who made them sign a blank document which the management claim to be clearance but turned out to be a quit claim.
The workers were advised by the JVACC management to “only sign the document” saying it will hasten their claims for 13th month pay and other benefits due them.
Carpenter Warlito Puno, showed to Newsline the document which he also did not understand as it was written in English but he doubted the document because it is still blank and they were only told to affix their signatures.
The JVACC is the contractor of the P12-billion Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, distributed a sheet of paper with a heading “Clearance” but at the lower left portion of the document states “I hereby affirm, manifest and voluntarily declare that during the entire period of my employment and otehr benefits due me. I ahve nocause of actions or claims against the company, its officers, directors, agents a or employees.”
When Newsline translated the English document to vernacular, Puno quipped “Binuang man diay ni, na-scam na mi (it is foolishness, this is scam).”
The JVACC is the contractor of the water project in Davao City which started its project in 2018 but until now, the project remains unfinished.
The workers started to submit their “clearance” but many of them do not understand the content. While there were those who submitted but until now they have not received their pay.
Last Saturday, some 100 laborers went to the office of JVACC at Barangay Gumalang in Calinan District this city to submit their documents but when they learned that it was a quit claim they went home.
Laborer Ramil Gonzaga told Newsline in vernacular “I want the company to release what is due to us, our 13th month pay and other benefits due to us.”
The Newsline consulted Atty. Randy Ceniza and showed to him the document, to ensure whether it is a clearance of a quit claim, after examining the piece of paper the lawyer said “It is a quit claim and not a clearance, it is now even clear here how much will the employees receive.”
Aggrieved laborers said the company deducted their contributions for Social Security System (SSS) and Philhealth but somebody at the JVACC office applied a loan on their behalf without their knowledge, worse, the management did not offer any explanation why such loan was done without their consent.
The workers said, on July 26, the management informed them that an inventory will be conducted, a reason why they need to suspend the work and later were advised to sign the “clearance” for their claim.
An employee of JVACC at first insisted that the documents which the workers signed was a “clearance” but when Newsline told him that the noted at the lower left portion signified that it is a quit claim, he then responded “Yes it is a quit claim.”
Atty. Ceniza advised the laborers to only sign the document if it reflects the actual computation of their claim and the submission of the document must be two way “When they submit the signed document, the payment representing their claim should be clear to them, that is the moment they sign the document and receive the money.”
According to Ceniza. the clearance did not even stipulate how much will a worker get? as it is also not reflected on the form that the company distributed.
According to Puno, many submit the documents and until now, they are awaiting for their payment and still many have yet to submit because they were told to come by batches..
Based on their website, the JVACC was Founded in 1965, it is a “General Engineering and Construction Company specializing in the construction of water supply and sewerage systems, water treatment plants, wastewater/sewage treatment plants, hydropower plants, dams, tunnels and aqueducts, pipelaying, utilities, and civil infrastructure. JVACC is a licensed “AAA” contractor by the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board. JVACC is also an ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007 certified company.”
The company entered a joint venture with Aboitiz Equity Ventures for the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project but the contractor reportedly failed to deliver the expected output which led to a legal problem now pending in court.-Editha Z. Caduaya
