EDIA PRACTITIONERS have yet to see better wages and benefits, despite years of campaigning for an improve- ment of working conditions. Issues of wages, tenure, and job security have

Contractualization is com- mon in the Philippine media. Most TV networks hire reporters and other media workers as “tal- ents” or program-based employ- ees. Talents have no job security as they are not officially em- ployed by the media companies. Positions considered as talents include reporters, producers, re- searchers, and production assis- tants.

Most ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. reporters, for example, are hired by Internal Job Manage- ment (IJM), an in-house agency overseeing the influx of talents and their assignments. Accord-

ing to Felisberto Verano, presi- dent of ABS-CBN’s Rank and File Employees Union, reporters un- der the IJM receive only a quar- ter of the usual rice subsidy, their health plans do not include de- pendents, and their bonuses de- pend on performance.

On the other hand, Union members—who are regular em- ployees under Republic Act (RA) No. 6715—receive full rice subsi- dies, insurance and bereavement pay, and bonuses including up to 15th month pay especially when company profits are up. RA 6715, or the Herrera Law, prohibits contractual workers from joining rank-and-file workers’ unions.

Contractualization is com- mon among broadcast net- works because contractual em- ployees allow it, Samson Cor- dova, president of the National Alliance of Broadcast Unions (NABU) explained. NABU is an alliance formed in 2001 by 10 company-based unions in six television stations and one ra- dio station.

Some talents work for one program or more while accept- ing projects from other networks. They call this“naglalagari” which means more earnings for employees. This would not be al-

lowed if employees were regu- lar. For example, Jocarlos Mo- rales, cameraman, audio man, and lights man for GMA-7’s docu- mentary programI-W i tness, has chosen not to apply for regular- ization because the management will prohibit him from accepting extra jobs. It is considered a “mor- tal sin” for a regular employee in GMA-7 to work for other pro- grams, he said.

Morales receives a net pay of P7,000 per month with only a monthly P300 prepaid cell card

allowance and meal allowance as his benefits. Even worse, talents are not allowed to consume their meal allowances unless they have already worked for 10 hours, he said.

Media workers in ABC-5, on the other hand, are better off com- pared with their counterparts in other networks. Ed Lingao, head of ABC-5’s News Operation De- partment, said ABC-5 newsroom employees get higher wages com- pared to those in other, bigger stations. ABC cameramen could earn from P15,000-P20,000, de- pending on seniority. Reporters’ salaries range from P13,000 to P30,000. Senior reporters or corre- spondents who are already in the supervisory level earn more.

Manila-based broadsheets, on the other hand, generally offer a more stable working environ- ment. Most Manila-based jour- nalists working for major na- tional broadsheets are regular employees and receive benefits like transportation and food al- lowances.