FREELANCE workers in the entertainment industry are among those hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) chairperson Liza Diño said on Friday, May 15.
In a Laging Handa briefing, Diño said these workers are employed on a no work, no pay scheme and are not covered by government assistance programs.
“Hindi sila formal sector dahil mga ‘no work, no pay,’ freelancers. So wala nag-susubmit ng application on their behalf kasi dapat employer ang nagsusubmit noon,” Diño said.
She said formal sector workers are covered by the Covid-19 Adjustment Measures Program of the Department of Labor and Employment while informal workers may benefit from the social amelioration program (SAP).
“Talagang medyo blind spot dahil yung mga government programs natin ay nasa formal sector, masasabi mong mga employees, at yung mga nasa vulnerable sector natin para sa DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development). Pero kasi, in between ang ating mga cultural workers, film workers, audio-visual workers,” she said.
Diño said the FDCP rolled out its own assistance program for workers in the entertainment industry.
As of April 28, over 1,500 freelance film workers have already been given P8,000 cash aid each.
“Kasalukuyan kaming nagbibigay ng P8,000 financial assistance ngayon sa mga freelance workers natin na na-kanselahan ng trabaho dahil sa Covid,” Diño said.
Diño called on the government to include the entertainment industry in the economic stimulus bill.
“Sana ay sa gagawing economic stimulus bill ngayon sana po ay masama ang aming industrya sa mga bibigyan ng direktang suporta dahil kailangan po talaga natin na mabigyan sila ng tulong,” she said.
“Alam naman natin na kahit magbubukas ang ating mga businesses kahit na ma-lift na ang ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), ang cinema at ibang entertainment industries ay sarado pa rin--so talagang, right now survival ang priority ng FDCP,” she added. (SunStar Philippines)