Manila, June 8 -- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Francis Tolentino ordered the suspension of work in all DOLE offices in the Davao and Soccsksargen regions following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that jolted Maasim, Sarangani, on Monday morning.

In a statement, Tolentino said work in the said regions was suspended to ensure the safety and well-being of employees and clients.

He added that all face-to-face transactions and services are suspended until building safety and structural assessments are conducted.

At the same time, Tolentino also reminded private-sector employers and workers that work suspensions may be implemented during natural disasters and similar disruptive events to safeguard employee health and saf...