By Minka Klaudia Tiangco
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has prepared a budget of P76.8 million to provide financial assistance to thousands of displaced cultural workers and artists during the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Cinemas, theaters, cultural centers, and other similar entertainment industries are still prohibited to open per MECQ guidelines, making freelance cultural workers and artists among the hardest hit during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) crisis, said NCCA Executive Director Al Ryan Alejandre.
Alejandre said in a public briefing on May 21, Thursday, that the livelihoods of up to 400,000 freelance workers across 19 sectors were affected from when the ECQ was first implemented. Aside from the said budget, the NCCA also distributed a fund of P1.5 million to 400 workers through a partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Alejandre also appealed to lawmakers to increase NCCA's supplemental budget so they can provide cash assistance to more affected workers. "'Yun po ang isinusulong ng cultural bloc ng Kongreso para hindi kami maiiwang mga freelance workers (This is what the cultural bloc in Congress is pushing for so that we, freelance workers, will not get left behind)," he said.
The show must go on
NCCA Deputy Director Marichu Tellano said they are starting to bring their programs to online platforms, not only as an alternative way to make it accessible for the public, but also as another form of assistance for freelance cultural workers and artists.
"Magandang opportunity din siya dahil karamihan sa atin, nakatutok sa social media, sa online platforms, so nagbukas siya ng malaking oportunidad para sa ating mga artists (It is a good opportunity, because most of us are glued to our screens, our social media accounts and online platforms, so it opened a big opportunity for our artists)," she said.
"We want our artists to be ready to use digital platforms... we need to strengthen our cultural workers' access to these platforms," she added. Tellano said they are currently holding their month-long campaign for National Heritage Month through their social media channels. She also said that they plan to conduct retooling orientations and seminars to help cultural workers and artists adjust to releasing their work in digital spaces.
Tellano said consultations and planning on the agency's remaining programs for 2020 will be done by June.