By Liza Soriano
MANILA — The bill seeking to protect the rights and ensure the welfare of movie and television industry workers has already been scheduled for the third reading in the Senate.
“Even after his passing, Eddie Garcia, widely regarded as the greatest Filipino actor of all time, continues to make history. His legacy, carried under his name, will undoubtedly benefit his colleagues,” Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Labor said.
Estrada was the sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2505 or the proposed Eddie Garcia Law.
Once passed into law, the lawmaker said Congress will be enacting landmark legislation as the measure will institute needed reforms involving over 400 establishments and thousands of workers.
“Unique at sinasabing ‘peculiar’ ang movie and TV industry dahil sa tinagal-tagal na panahon ay naging normal na sa kanila ang mag-trabaho ng mahabang oras. Minsan ay umaabot pa ng 36 oras o non-stop. Sa panukalang batas, may itatakdang maximum na oras ang kanilang trabaho para na rin mapangalagaan ang kanilang kapakanan,” Estrada said.
Estrada expressed optimism that the bill will hurdle the third reading and have the upper chamber’s version consolidated with the House of Representatives bill that was passed last year and ratified in a week with the support of his colleagues.
(el Amigo/MNM)