Aboitiz Construction, Inc. (ACI) said it is planing to hire about  1,200 skilled workers, including medical professionals, as it resumes construction in various project sites as the country struggles with challenges posed by Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19).

Among the jobs needed are project managers, engineers, safety and quality inspectors, pipefitters, welders, fitters, scaffolders, crane operators, and TIG (tungsten inert gas) welders for ongoing works, shutdowns, and acceleration projects in Surigao, Cebu, Iligan, Davao, Sarangani and Subic.

Also included in the required job pool are medical professionals such as nurses and nurses’ aides who will strictly monitor workers’ health, wellness, and overall well-being as part of ACI’s stringent Covid-19 protocols.

“Amidst the massive disruption in the labor market caused by the global pandemic, we are still fortunate to be able to offer jobs to a sector of Filipino workers who need livelihood the most,” Nina Ylagan-Pedro,  ACI vice president for People, Reputation & Corporate Social Responsibility said.

Pedro also noted that ACI is providing livelihood in rural areas as it prioritizes the hiring of local residents from nearby communities.

She said the company is looking to add more to this number toward the end of the year, depending if there are additional projects. ACI provided jobs to more than 2,000 new workers in 2019.

To ensure the hiring of appropriate skilled workers, all shortlisted candidates will go through standard trade proficiency exams and rigorous health and safety protocols aligned with the Aboitiz Group’s safety guidelines and policies, as well as those imposed by the national and local government units.

Once hired and mobilized to the assigned project areas, new hires are then received in designated areas ready for a mandatory 14-day quarantine period where daily essentials are provided.

Aboitiz Construction project sites strictly observe physical distancing in the work areas (service vehicles, offices, canteens, barracks, and staging areas) and are equipped with preventive and control measures such as disinfection and wash bays, proper personal protective equipment, and constant health and temperature checks. In addition, project sites have also set up isolation areas for use if needed.

A construction employment contract starts upon project mobilization and ends with project turnover. With this, ACI provides project-based team members with valuable experience and training for jumpstarting future employment.

Aboitiz Construction, together with its international arm, Aboitiz Construction International, Inc., is the construction arm of the Aboitiz Group of Companies, with a 45-year track record in delivering projects for its local and international customers in the industrial, infrastructure, energy, utilities and commercial industries.