(THE MANILA TIMES) (UPDATE) THE Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the “Eddie Garcia Act” or Senate Bill (SB) 2505, which aims to protect the welfare of workers in the movie and television industry.
Movie and television personalities trooped to the Senate to witness the passage of SB 2505, including couple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera.
Among those present were Jestoni Alarcon, Herbert Bautista, Joyce Bernal, Iza Calzado, Rez Cortes, Ramon Chrisopher, Tirso Cruz 3rd, Ricky Davao, Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera, Bembol Roco, Philip Salvador, Randy Santiago, Kylie Padilla, and Mariel Padilla.
Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, sponsor of SB 2505, earlier said that “even after his passing, Eddie Garcia, widely regarded as the greatest Filipino actor of all time, continues to make history.”
Garcia died in 2019, days after an accident while shooting a television series.
Garcia’s legacy, “carried under his name, will undoubtedly benefit his colleagues,” said Estrada, chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor and sponsor of SB 2505.
The bill aims to guarantee industry workers opportunities for gainful employment, decent incomes, and protection from abuse, extended working hours, harassment, hazardous conditions and economic exploitation.
Aside from prescribing a normal eight-hour work, or up to a maximum of 14 hours or a total of 60 hours in a week, the bill also includes specific provisions on social welfare benefits and insurance from work-related incidents or deaths that would provide the much-needed security and protection in an industry known for its unpredictable nature.
“We cannot allow karoshi, a Japanese term which means death by overwork, to continue in our film and TV industry. We can’t go on like this,” Estrada said.