Lawmakers back media worker benefits

Newly sworn-in lawmaker Atty. Jan Almario Chan, together with Ako Bicol Party-List Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr., filed a measure pushing for stronger protections, improved welfare, and better labor standards for media workers.

Reps. Chan and Garbin cited the risks and economic challenges faced by journalists and other news workers, filing House Bill (HB) 7431, or the Media Personnel Protection and Welfare Act, on 27 January 2026.

The proposed measure aims to strengthen labor and safety protections for media personnel across various platforms, including reporters, field correspondents, photojournalists, camera operators, editors, producers, and other workers involved in news gathering and dissemination nationwide.

Under the proposed measure, the state recognizes the role of media workers in delivering information from the frontlines of conflict, disasters, public emergencies, and issues involving public accountability.

Chan and Garbin said the bill seeks to address long-standing labor issues in the industry, including contractual work arrangements and worker misclassification that may result in the absence of job security, social protection, health insurance, and other basic labor benefits.

They noted that many media workers continue to face unsafe working conditions, low and unstable income, job insecurity, and threats of violence, harassment, and legal persecution.

As such, the bill seeks, among others, professional compensation not lower than the applicable minimum wage for the region where the work is performed; regularization of media personnel who have rendered at least one year of continuous service; and provision of insurance coverage for all media workers regardless of employment status.

It also requires media entities to ensure that media personnel who qualify as employees are properly enrolled in and covered by the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).

Freelancers, meanwhile, shall be encouraged to maintain active membership in SSS, Pag-IBIG and PhilHealth as self-employed or voluntary contributors.

The measure comes amid continuing concerns over the safety of journalists in the country, with records showing that nearly 200 Filipino media workers have been killed since 1986.