Anne Curtis (L), Liza Soberano and Maris Racal. Images: Instagram/@annecurtissmith, @lizasoberano, @mariesteller
Celebrities such as Anne Curtis, Liza Soberano and Maris Racal questioned the government’s job assurance for the 11,000 ABS-CBN employees who now face unemployment after the denial of the network’s franchise renewal.
Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin stated that the Department of Labor and Employment and other government agencies are already working to ensure the said workers would not be out of jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Following her statement, ABS-CBN artists asked about the government’s supposed plan last Saturday, July 25.
“So paano na po? Anong [nangyari] (So what now? What happened)?” Anne Curtis asked, referring to Garin’s statement.
So paano na po? Anong nangyare? 🤷🏻♀️ https://t.co/4w9rth6oh1
— Anne Curtis-Smith (@annecurtissmith) July 24, 2020
Liza Soberano echoed Curtis’ question, saying, “Ano na po nangyari (What has happened)? [crying emoji]”
Ano na po nangyari? 😭 https://t.co/fdCSva5KRz
— Liza Soberano (@lizasoberano) July 24, 2020
Meanwhile, Maris Racal said she hopes Garin knows that an ABS-CBN employee already passed away following the network’s shutdown. Racal and her “Pamilya Ko” co-stars such as Sylvia Sanchez recently mourned the death of Mavic Holgado-Oducayen, the show’s program manager.
Holgado-Oducayen reportedly died of a heart attack after finding out that she was among the workers who were to be retrenched due to the denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal.
i hope she knows we already lost a soul. 🙂 https://t.co/IJgcPvA2qh
— Maris Racal (@MissMarisRacal) July 24, 2020
Journalist Karen Davila later asked where the government would place the network’s over-11,000 workers while noting that 7 million Filipinos are currently unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are 7 million Filipinos who lost their jobs because of Covid. Saan naman po ilalagay ng pamahalaan ang 11,017 workers ng ABSCBN?
ABSCBN workers didn’t lose their jobs because of covid. Congress took it away from them by shutting the network down. https://t.co/FyDHaWcQDW
— Karen Davila (@iamkarendavila) July 24, 2020
“[ABS-CBN] workers didn’t lose their jobs because of [COVID-19],” she stressed. “Congress took it away from them by shutting the network down.”
The network will cease operation of some of its businesses and start the retrenchment of its workers by the end of August. Along with separation and retirement benefits, affected employees could also avail of a job placement program to help them find other jobs. JB
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