It’s no secret that the Philippine entertainment industry works grueling hours to bring us the films and TV shows we constantly watch. Everyone has heard of abusive directors, massive budget cuts, and 72 hour workdays. Those who have seen the film Ekstra know how tough the industry is, especially for bit players.
But that may soon change as Sen. Chiz Escudero filed a bill that seeks to limit film and TV workers to work only up to 12 hours each day.
The bill came after directors Wenn Deramas and Francis Pasion died of heart attacks just one week apart. Fellow director Quark Henares blames “horrible working hours and conditions in television” for the deaths.
In Escudero’s proposed measure, he wants “to limit to 12 hours the workday schedule of workers in cinema, theater, radio, film, television and other forms of media to protect their well-being.”
According to him, “Workers in the film, television, movie and other forms of media spend unreasonable number of hours of work, which is not only inhumane but detrimental to their health.”
He added that the bill will fill a gap in the Labor Code, where workers in the entertainment industry have no statutory policy.
“The successive deaths of these directors should serve as a wake-up call. We should push for a more reasonable schedule for industry workers who normally work 16 to 18 hours a day,” Escudero said.
Escudero is married to actress Heart Evangelista.
Should we file this bill? Share your thoughts below!
