Displaced entertainment press workers to get financial aid from FDCP

Image: Courtesy of FDCP

MANILA, Philippines—Entertainment press workers whose jobs have been affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine can get aid from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

The FDCP launched on Monday the DEAR PRESS! program for displaced freelance entertainment press members in the National Capital Region (NCR). These include editors, writers, and reporters who have lost work during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

Beneficiaries will receive P5,000, which is a one-time and tax-free financial assistance from FDCP.

“Napaka-crucial ng role na ginagampanan ng entertainment press para buhayin at bigyang kulay ang ating showbiz industry. Sila ang tagapaghatid ng mga nangyayari sa loob at labas ng showbiz para sa ating mga audience,” said FDCP chair Liza Diño in a statement.

(The entertainment press plays a crucial role to give life and color to our showbiz industry. They are the messengers of what happens in and out of showbiz for our audience.)

“Unfortunately, they too, belong to the freelance sector and cannot be afforded unemployment benefits,” she stressed.

The program covers press workers who have a “no work, no pay” arrangement, do not have affiliations with a company and do not qualify for benefit payments from their local government unit (LGU) and government institutions.

Requirements and application guidelines can be found on the FDCP webpage for the DEAR program: https://fdcp.ph/dear-program.  Applications are ongoing until April 30.

The FDCP has also provided financial support for audio-visual (AV) workers through its DEAR ACTION! program launched on March 23. Displaced AV workers can receive P8,000 as a benefit payment.

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