Quezon City 1st District Rep. Arjo Atayde expressed hope that a bill seeking to establish a safer working environment for workers of the movie and television industry will finally be passed this 19th Congress.
“Umaasa tayong ngayong 19th Congress ay maipasa na ang Eddie Garcia law para masiguro ang mas ligtas na working conditions para sa mga kasama natin sa industriya,” Atayde, who is an actor, said.
The measure is named after actor Eddie Garcia, who passed away in 2019 after an accident on set while taping a tv series. The House of Representatives passed it on the third and final reading in 2020. The Senate, however, failed to pass its counterpart bill during the 18th Congress.
House Bill No. 459, or the “Eddie Garcia Law,” aims to improve working conditions across the movie and tv industry by setting occupational safety and health standards for employees.
The measure is named after actor Eddie Garcia, who passed away in 2019 after an accident on set while taping a television series. The House of Representatives passed it on the third and final reading in 2020. The Senate, however, failed to pass its counterpart bill during the 18th Congress.
The bill mandates that show or movie producers comply with occupational health and safety standards which the Department of Labor and Employment is required to formulate.
Under the bill, a movie or tv industry worker’s actual work should be eight hours in a day. If the worker is required to render overtime, the maximum actual hours of work must not exceed 14 hours in any 24-hour period, with 2-hour breaks distributed accordingly.
Workers who render overtime are also entitled to an additional 25 percent of the hourly rate after the 8th hour up to the 12th hour, and an additional 50 percent for the 13th and 14th hour.
Meanwhile, normal hours of work of elderly workers or those aged 60 years and above, shall not exceed 8 hours in a day, while children shall not exceed 6 hours on any given day and shall not exceed 30 hours a week.
“Our TV and movie workers deserve just and safe treatment, lalo pa ngayon na umaarangkada na ulit tayo sa paglikha ng mga show at pelikula. Kailangang kasama ang mga empleyado sa muling pagbangon ng industriya.”
Employees shall also be entitled to insurance and other social welfare benefits.
Atayde, who serves as vice chair of the House Creative Industry and Performing Arts committee, cited the need to pass the law as the movie and tv industry is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our TV and movie workers deserve just and safe treatment, lalo pa ngayon na umaarangkada na ulit tayo sa paglikha ng mga show at pelikula. Kailangang kasama ang mga empleyado sa muling pagbangon ng industriya,” the neophyte lawmaker said.
