JUST A THOUGHT: “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
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SHOWBIZ’S INFORMAL WORKERS: Liway is a make-up artist, married, and with three children. Her subsistence depends on movies and teleseryes where she applies make-up on actors from morning till night.
But, now that the COVID- 19 epidemic has spread and government has imposed a Luzon- wide lockdown, Liway has nowhere to go for her daily wage.
Networks have cancelled all production work, the very source of Liway’s livelihood. Many other informal workers abound in Liway’s industry. There are stuntmen, extras, bit players, cameramen, caterers, so many others down the line, starting from lead actors and directors, themselves displaced by this current debacle.
What happens to them?
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DEAR PROGRAM: Comes now the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) creating the Disaster/Emergency Assistance and Relief (DEAR) Program to assist its stakeholders during calamities and major disasters.
This disaster-triggered funding mechanism of the FDCP came about as a response to the plight of freelance audio-visual workers who have been displaced by the Enhanced Community Quarantine and consequent State of Calamity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DEAR for Displaced Freelance AV Workers is for those who have become suddenly unemployed for at least seven (7) work days as a direct result of a major disaster and are not eligible for other government-instituted benefits.
The application for the DEAR program and the FDCP National Registry can happen concurrently. A flat rate cash financial assistance of R8,000 will be given to a displaced worker whose application has been approved.
The one-time tax-free financial assistance aims to help beneficiaries with their expenses for personal needs, medical expenses, housing, rent, and other essential needs.
FDCP emphasizes that DEAR benefits are not payable to individuals who are entitled to or qualified for regular unemployment compensation, waiting period credit, or benefits from the DOLE, Social Security System (SSS), their local government unit, their own employer, and similar agencies.
