Art is no excuse for abuse
The passage of the Eddie Garcia Act changed the way filmmakers, producers and crew members should think about work on a film set.
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The passage of the Eddie Garcia Act changed the way filmmakers, producers and crew members should think about work on a film set.
NEIL Daza
The ongoing public exchange between filmmaker Erik Matti and cinematographer Neil Daza has once again drawn attention to labor issues in the Philippine film industry. While their disagreement unfolded on social media, it also reminded the industry of a larger conversation that did not begin with either of them.
The passage of the Eddie Garcia Act changed the way filmmakers, producers and crew members should think about work on a film set. Rather than focus on personalities, it is worth asking whether the industry has fully embraced the principles behind the law.
A law born from tragedy
The Eddie Garcia Act did not emerge from an abstract discussion about labor rights. It came after the death of veteran actor Eddie Garcia in 2019 following an accident during a television production. The incident prompted investigations by the Department of Labor and Employment into workplace safety and renewed calls for stronger protection for workers in the film and television industries.
Republic Act 11996, or the Eddie Garcia Act, became law in 2024. It requires written contracts, occupational safety measures, emergency protocols, insurance and other safeguards for workers in the film, television and advertising industries. More importantly, the law recognizes that everyone on a production, regardless of position, deserves protection while performing their job.
The culture of sacrifice
The Philippine film industry has long depended on commitment that goes beyond financial reward. Independent productions often operate on limited budgets. Even commercial films face financial uncertainty in a relatively small market. Many filmmakers enter the profession because they love cinema, not because they expect wealth or stability.
Passion therefore became part of the industry's identity. Long hours, last-minute adjustments and personal sacrifice often came to represent dedication to the craft. Many professionals accepted those realities because they believed great films demanded extraordinary effort.
However, passion and labor protection should not compete with each other. One reflects artistic commitment, while the other concerns legal and moral responsibility. A filmmaker may love the work and still deserve reasonable working conditions. Those ideas can coexist.
The economic reality
The industry's financial situation helps explain why this culture developed.
Film production in the Philippines carries considerable risk. Financing remains difficult, theatrical revenues fluctuate and independent filmmakers frequently operate with limited resources. Many workers also depend on project-based employment, which offers little long-term security. In that environment, there is often pressure to stretch schedules, reduce costs and rely on goodwill instead of formal systems.
Those realities deserve recognition because they affect everyone involved in production. At the same time, they cannot become permanent reasons to compromise worker welfare. The Eddie Garcia Act reflects the belief that economic challenges do not remove an employer's obligation to provide a safe workplace.
Lessons from abroad
The Philippines is not alone in confronting labor issues in filmmaking. In the United States, unions such as IATSE, the Directors Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA negotiate collective bargaining agreements that cover wages, overtime, workplace safety and other employment standards. Labor disputes still occur, but workers have established mechanisms to negotiate and seek accountability.
South Korea also faced criticism over long working hours and inconsistent labor standards during the rapid expansion of its film industry in the late 1990s and 2000s. Reforms introduced in the 2010s helped strengthen worker protections while the industry continued its global rise.
Neither country offers a perfect model. Both demonstrate, however, that stronger labor standards and artistic excellence can coexist.
The conversation that matters
The current discussion should not end with social media exchanges or disagreements between respected members of the industry. It should encourage producers, directors, investors, crew members and government agencies to examine whether the principles of the Eddie Garcia Act have become part of everyday production practice.
The Eddie Garcia Act has already established the standard. The challenge now is no longer whether the industry agrees with its principles, but whether those principles become part of everyday production. Passion will always have a place in filmmaking. It simply should never come at the expense of the people who make films possible.
