Detention of foreign workers affects power plant construction

DAVAO CITY, Philippines   – The construction of a P25-billion power plant of the AboitizPower Corp. has been affected by the detention of 49 foreign workers who were found to be without working permits. 

The 49 were among the 61 foreign workers of the power plant who were earlier summoned by the BI for working in the 645-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Barangay Binugao, Toril district here.

BI officials said the 61 foreigners were actually involved in the ongoing construction of AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South Inc.’s coal-fired power plant.

 Of the 61 foreigners, 55 were Chinese while the rest included an American, two British and one each from Thailand and Australia.

In a statement yesterday, Therma South admitted the 61 foreigners are employees of contractors and sub-contractors Black and Veatch, Leighton Contractors Philippines, as well as True North and its sub-contractor Nantong Dragon.

AboitizPower vice president for Mindanao affairs Manuel Orig said most of the 49 employees of their contractors work in critical and highly skilled positions.

“These are jobs that cannot be hired from local sources. They are very critical for the construction of the plant and these skills cannot be hired locally,” Orig said as he expressed hope the workers would be back as soon as possible, otherwise, construction of the power plant will be derailed.

He said they are still confident that Therma South will achieve commissioning of their units and have the plant ready for commercial operations by the first half of 2015.

Orig pointed out that the employees and personnel were from the contractors and not AboitizPower.