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
ANGELES CITY — More than four months after the deadly collapse of a nine-story commercial building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, the local fact-finding task force has released its findings on the May 24 incident that left around 30 people dead.
The final report of the Angeles City Fact-Finding and Investigation Task Force cited structural design defects and unauthorized alterations during construction among the factors that contributed to the building’s collapse.
Based on the structural assessment, the building’s columns and bored piles were overstressed beyond their designed capacity.
The report also noted that the structural design failed to account for wind and seismic forces.
Investigators further found steel beams and an additional framing system supporting a rooftop swimming pool that were not reflected in the approved structural plans, adding undocumented weight to the structure.
Meanwhile, the Department of Labor and Employment ordered Golden Years Construction and Steelworks Corp. and its owner Ernest Jackson Lim to pay P11.43 million in workers’ monetary claims and administrative fines over labor and occupational safety violations.
The amount includes more than P1.1 million in unpaid wages and benefits involving 57 workers and P10.22 million in fines for occupational safety violations.
DOLE upholds P11.49-M liability of contractor of collapsed Angeles City building
DOLE also cited deficiencies in safety controls, permits, training, occupational health personnel, and worker welfare facilities. Some safety and first-aid certificates submitted to authorities were reportedly found to be inauthentic.
The Angeles City government said it will assist businesses affected by the collapse in pursuing civil claims using the final report and technical assessments as supporting documents.
The city reported spending P9.68 million for rescue, search, retrieval, and clearing operations following the incident.
The final report will be submitted to the DOLE, the public works department, environment department, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers.
Golden Years Construction and Steelworks Corp. has yet to issue a public response to the task force’s findings.
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