Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte on Tuesday urged senators to support the passage of a bill ensuring media persons of their deserved economic benefits as well as creating an environment more conducive to their work.
Villafuerte said he hopes the recent reaffirmation by the President of his government’s commitment to fostering the welfare and protecting the lives of journalists would be “the cue for the Senate to act on its version of the House-passed House Bill (HB) 454.
The bill aims to guarantee the rights of media workers to self-organization and additional economic benefits due them in their profession; and to create a safe, protected environment more conducive to their productive, free and fruitful work.”
Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party, is the lead author of HB 304, which was consolidated into HB 454 that is now known as the “Media Workers Welfare Act.”
HB 454 was passed by the House on third and final reading in November 2022 yet, and then transmitted to the Senate.
“Our journalists risk their own lives being exposed to the perils and hazards outdoors just so we can receive our needed information. It is unfortunate that these media workers are usually the ones whose labor rights are ignored, such as those pertaining to security of tenure, hazard pay, night shift differential pay and overtime pay,” Villafuerte said.
Hence, he said, the need for the Senate to help the President achieve his goal for a better and safer work atmosphere for journalists by acting on its version of the proposed “Media Workers Welfare Act,” which aims to provide media persons with a package of comprehensive benefits at par with the current benefits enjoyed by those in the labor force in both the government and the private sector.
Apart from creating a safer, more protected workplace for a productive, free and fruitful practice of their profession, Villafuerte said the bill guarantees as well the media people’s right as workers to self-organization.
Mr. Marcos reiterated his Administration’s commitment to protect journalists and advance their welfare during the 50th anniversary celebration last April 15 of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).