By Jel Santos  After failing to comply with the national government's safety guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic, the local government unit (LGU) of Pasay City recently ordered the temporary closure of three private construction projects in the city. Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano said the city government is strictly enforcing health and safety protocols even if the level of quarantine in National Capital Region (NCR) has already been eased to General Community Quarantine (GCQ). “We have to make sure that workplaces are safe. We always have to be vigilant so that COVID-19 won’t spread in the city,” she said Engineer Johari Rangiris, leader of the LGU's inspection team, said the D.L. Cervantes Construction Corp., the Montevista Construction Corp., and the Donor Builders Inc. violated Department Order No. 39 of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). They were inspected on Thursday afternoon. According to him, the order requires all construction companies to secure a construction quarantine pass from the city hall before any activity takes place during the community quarantine. The pass will be given to those who have provided the name and age of every worker, he said. “We have to make sure that the prescribed age of 21 to 59 years old is strictly followed in every project site,” Rangiris said. The LGU also pointed out that DPWH requires all returning construction personnel to undergo quarantine for 14 days prior to deployment. “The employee may undergo any available Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - approved COVID-19 test, as may be prescribed by the Department of Health (DOH), and be retested as the need arises. In this regard, consultation with medical doctors (duly accredited by DOH, if possible) prior to the conduct of COVID-19 test shall be made,” the department order states. “Further, COVID-19 test procedures and return-to-work policies of the contractors should comply with DOH Circular No. 2020-0160 dated 31 March 2020, Department Memorandum No. 2020-0220 dated 11 May 2020, and other pertinent issuances of the DOH on the matter.” The City Engineer’s Office has given the three construction firms three days to comply with DPWH's department order. Pasay City LGU said they will continue to inspect construction projects in the city to ensure that they comply with the health and safety guidelines required by the government.