The Stria workers asking gov't: Don't stop project

Workers employed by subcontractors on the Stria project have made a heartfelt appeal to local government leaders, urging them not to disrupt their livelihoods with orders to suspend the ongoing construction.

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In a joint statement, the workers urged Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro and Sta. Fe town Mayor Ithamar Espinosa not to halt the controversial development project.

This project has become a crucial source of employment in the area, providing jobs to hundreds of workers through subcontractors, the workers said.

For many families, wages from The Stria project construction have been their primary means of survival amid rising living costs.

"Our jobs are the only thing we rely on to put food on the table, send our children to school, and support our families. If this work is halted, our families, who depend on our modest income, will suffer. This is not just a job to us, it is our livelihood, our hope, and our future," the workers said.

The workers' plea highlights the human dimension of the controversy, while legal and environmental issues remain unresolved, families depending on the project face the looming threat of unemployment.

The manifesto of support is signed by more than 200 workers coming from the cities of Cebu Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Toledo, as well as from the towns of Madridejos, Ronda, Bantayan, Tuburan, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Dumanjug, San Remegio, Catmon, Sogod, Consolacion, San Fernando, and Minglanilla,

Some workers also came from Bohol, Leyte, Samar, Surigao City, Laguna, and Aklan. Most of the workers, however, came from the different barangays of Sta. Fe town, the location of The Stria project.

The workers worked as site engineer, safety officer, electrical engineer, project engineer, project in charge, office staff, manager, draftsman, pipe fitter, welder, electrician, tower crane operator, warehouseman, applicator, laborer, project in charge, foreman, steel man, plumber, carpenter, mason, helper, driver, backhoe spotter, painter, coordinator, housekeeping, and utility.