Picking up steam during COVID-19
Chinese and Filipino workers carry on despite hardship
On March 26, 2020, construction was in full force on a coal-offloading wharf for the largest coal-fired power station in the Philippines on Manila Bay. The project was contracted by the Company of China Communications Construction (CCCC) Third Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd.
Jeff Aricila, a Philippine technician from Bataan Province on Luzon Island, was working in the control room of the P16 pile driving barge. On a 17-inch screen, he closely followed the progress of the underwater installation of a 1,500-meter-long high-density polyethylene (HDPE) drainage pipeline, a critical step of the project.
When the last bolt was tightened 20 meters underwater, cheer erupted from the barge. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the workers were all wearing face masks. They patted each other on the back to celebrate the occasion.
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES AMID PREVENTION MEASURES
The coal-offloading wharf project is based in Bataan. Construction of the project, with a contract price of 500 million yuan ($78 million), began in December 2016, and is expected to be completed by June 2020. According to schedule, the underwater drainage pipeline was to be installed during the Spring Festival around late January.
However, just as everyone was preparing for the critical step, the outbreak of COVID-19 interrupted the process.
On March 13, the Philippine government issued a stay-at-home order for the residents of Luzon.
“We were employing 24 locals at the time,” recalled project manager Shi Jingang. “It would have been tremendously risky for them to commute to and from work every day.” Shi and other administrators decided to shut down the entire construction area at noon on March 14.
To help local employees understand and accept the prevention measures, the administrators organized a meeting. They elaborated on the advantages of a shutdown for epidemic containment. To cut off the spread of the coronavirus, certain measures would be taken, such as social distancing, masks, temperature checks and disinfection.
Aricila had been working with the project for three years. Under the guidance of chief equipment manager Jiang Jinzhong, he has become a skilled mechanic. Since Jiang was stranded in China, Aricila became the ideal person to take his post.
Aricila was a little hesitant because his family was worried about him. After learning about the prevention measures, he became committed to joining his Chinese colleagues in continuing construction. He showed prevention measures in the construction area to his wife through video chat.
“It will be better for you to continue working there than staying at home,” admitted his wife. “We can live with that.”
Aricila and nine fellow Philippine workers are still working to this day. They sleep in single rooms and receive generous food allowance every day.
During this extraordinary period, Aricila is busier than ever with the maintenance and repair of generators, cranes, loaders and other equipment. Each morning, he arrives early to the construction site to prepare everything for the day. His outstanding performance has been widely acknowledged, which adds an extra spring to his step.
OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES TOGETHER
The epidemic outbreak caused some problems for Chinese overseas projects and investment. The State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), a functional department of the State Council, provided guidance for centrally-administered state-owned enterprises on resuming work and production while carrying out epidemic prevention and control. It also implemented a series of targeted measures to help promote overseas projects.
The Philippines Office of Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) has strengthened safety education and care for its staff and their families during the epidemic. It has invested in epidemic prevention and control and compiled a contingency plan for offices and construction sites.
During this period, Chinese and Filipino workers have overcome difficulties together to carry on several cooperative projects. Arthur Tugade, Transportation Secretary of the Philippines, declared, “We should maintain the momentum of pragmatic cooperation between the Philippines and China and minimize the negative impact of the epidemic on our bilateral economic cooperation.”