Tulfo wants full-time pay, health benefits for media workers
Senator Raffy Tulfo on Tuesday, August 29 pushed for better benefits for media workers saying it is high-time media networks and related companies provide journalists, photojournalists, cameramen and other media workers a good working environment.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo takes the cudgels for media workers during the hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development on proposed measures providing protection and benefits to entertainment and media workers on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. (Senate PRIB Photo)
The broadcast journalist turned politician said he understands the plight of reporters covering the field and “I’m here to make sure that they be given justice.”
“Especially those who work just as a ‘talent,’ they got no real pay, no benefits, no holiday pay or overtime pay,” Tulfo said during the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources’ hearing on the various measures providing protection and benefits to entertainment and media workers.
“They do not have any security of tenure and they can be sacked anytime. They also do not have any 13th month pay,” he noted.
While some media companies can provide benefits, Tulfo noted that most of them rely on sponsors to provide for the needs of their employees.
“I experienced that before, my 13th month pay were mostly (fruit) juices that were given by sponsors, or breads that are already moldy…That’s how hard it is to be a reporter, or cameraman,” he pointed out.
Tulfo also recalled having suffered serious ailments when he was still a reporter and didn’t get much company support for his medical needs.
“The pay is not commensurate to the work they do for the Filipino people,” the senator pointed out.
“I know a lot of media people who were taken care of by politicians when they get sick because they don’t have benefits. What is the implication of this? The media (people) become beholden to the politicians and could not write accurate stories and exposes about their beneficiaries,” he stressed.
“This has got to stop. We need to give them full-time pay, health benefits, security of tenure so we can call on them to do excellent jobs,” Tulfo reiterated.