FDCP Starts Releasing P8,000 DEAR ACTION! and P5,000 DEAR PRESS! Aid for Freelance AV Content Workers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) has released more than P4.5 million from its reallocated funds through the Disaster/Emergency Assistance and Relief (DEAR) Program, providing financial support to freelance audio-visual (AV) content workers impacted by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. As of April 6, 2020, more than 600 displaced freelance AV content industry members received the one-time tax-free DEAR financial support. Film and television workers covered by the DEAR ACTION! Program received P8,000 each and entertainment press members under the DEAR PRESS! Program were given P5,000 each.



FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño shared the good news of the ongoing disbursement of the DEAR financial assistance for the most vulnerable freelance AV content workers. “Ang DEAR Program ay tulong ng gobyerno para sa ating workers upang maibsan man lang ang hirap na pinagdadaanan nila. In this time of global crisis, it’s important to be one with the industry and help our own. Every gesture counts,” she said. “Thank you to everyone who has been supporting this initiative. Let us keep spreading the word out there as we are still accepting applications for our freelance workers who lost work during the COVID-19 pandemic. FDCP is here to help. Please do not hesitate to send your inquiries through our text hotline and e-mail. Our DEAR Agents are ready.”



Diño also gave updates on the changes in the application process. Firstly, there is no more cap on the income eligibility of DEAR ACTION! applicants. All eligible AV content workers can apply but FDCP reserves the right to prioritize low-income individuals who have a talent fee of P3,000 or below per day or a package rate of P20,000 or below per project. Secondly, the required number of suspended or cancelled work days was reduced from seven days to five (5) days—whether in pre-production, production, or post-production. Thirdly, AV companies such as productions and suppliers can now apply for DEAR ACTION! on behalf of freelancers whom they have engagements with.



The FDCP DEAR Program was launched on March 23 to help freelance AV content workers who suddenly lost work or became out of work because of a major natural disaster or public health emergency such as the COVID-19 crisis. The DEAR fund is only activated once the President of the Republic of the Philippines declares a state of calamity. In light of the COVID-19 situation, FDCP aims to assist 2,500 freelance AV content workers with a budget of P20 million coming from its limited funds. The release of the DEAR ACTION! and DEAR PRESS! financial aid began on March 27.



Eventually, FDCP hopes to help 50,000 disaster-affected AV freelancers from the content and live performance sectors across different fields: animation, new media, television, and film. The national film agency continues to seek additional support from the Office of the President and the upper and lower houses of Congress.

DOTr COVID-19 response efforts get boost from PhP100 million donation from Lopez Group of Companies

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Efforts by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country received a boost from a PhP100 million donation by the Lopez Group of Companies.

In a letter of intent from the First Philippine Holdings Corporation (FPHC) of the Lopez Group of Companies, the conglomerate company expressed its support for the commitment of the DOTr in addressing the pressing need to increase the limited capacity of the country’s health system. The company added that its donation will help a great number of Filipinos who are now in need of treatment for possible COVID-19 infection.

FPHC also mentioned that it was inspired by the approach taken by the Department in providing returning seafarers and other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with assistance in their mandatory quarantine, and in some cases, with their medical treatment.

FPHC’s letter was addressed to DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago, and to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral Joel Garcia.

To recall, the DOTr has partnered with private shipping companies to convert passenger ships into temporary quarantine ships as authorities expect an influx of repatriates amid the coronavirus crisis. These quarantine ships will serve as temporary accommodations for returning seafarers and other OFWs as they complete their 14-day quarantine, as ordered by the Department of Health (DOH). These ships will accommodate both asymptomatic persons and persons who have not undergone COVID-19 testing.

In addition, the DOTr will soon set up quarantine terminals to attend to the medical needs of returning seafarers and other OFWs who manifest mild coronavirus disease symptoms.

“It is heartwarming to know that the medical needs of our OFWs, our returning modern-day heroes, remain to be top-of-mind. This is the least we can do for a sector who has played a significant role in enabling our economy over the years, especially at this time that uncertainty hangs over their hearts and minds,” the FPHC letter further stated.

Meanwhile, DOTr Secretary Tugade said the donation made by FPHC will be of great help to fund the needs of the Department, especially the Maritime sector, in the operation of the quarantine ships and the quarantine terminals.

“It is truly overwhelming that during these trying times, the support and selflessness of our private sector partners keep on coming to back us up. We are extremely grateful to the Lopez Group for this enormous help. Gagastahin natin ito ng naayon sa tama at nararapat. Maraming kababayan 'ho natin ang siguradong makikinabang dito," Sec. Tugade said.

For his part, PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago pledged to make sure that the donation will be spent appropriately, and that the establishment of another quarantine facility will be swiftly implemented.

“We will ensure that every centavo donated will be accounted for and spent according to its intended purpose. Now, we are already in the process of planning the conversion of the Eva Macapagal Terminal into a quarantine facility. As Sec. Tugade instructed, we will exert all our efforts for this to be established and be of use very soon,” GM Santiago said.

DOTr partners with Seaoil PH to provide PhP405 thousand worth of free fuel for buses participating in its free ride service

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Starting Monday, 13 April 2020, additional fuel subsidies will be provided to bus units participating in the Free Ride for Health Workers Program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).

This, after Seaoil Philippines has pledged to provide, until 30 April 2020, free fuel worth PhP 405,000 to bus units ferrying medical frontliners under the DOTr's free shuttle service.

The DOTr has announced that 15 bus units participating in the program can avail of up to 50 liters of free fuel daily, which translates to Php 22,500 per day or a total of 13,500 liters amounting to P405,000.

"We are very grateful to Seaoil Philippines for providing fuel subsidies to the bus units of our free ride program. Malaking tulong po ito, hindi lang para sa amin, o sa mga bus, kundi makasisiguro rin tayo na maitataguyod natin ang serbisyo publiko para sa mga medical frontliners sa gitna ng COVID-19 pandemic," DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade expressed.

To recall, DOTr earlier partnered with Phoenix Petroleum, Petron Corporation, CleanFuel, and Total Philippines for fuel subsidies for bus units participating in the free ride program for medical frontliners.

Phoenix Petroleum has agreed to provide 50 liters of fuel daily to sixty (60) private bus units participating in the free ride program.

Meanwhile, the Petron fuel subsidy, which was made possible through the donation of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Infrastructure, will give sixty (60) bus units an allocation of 50 liters of fuel each day.

CleanFuel will also provide 40 liters of fuel for 20 bus units for free, while Total has allocated free fuel subsidies to 30 participating bus units at PhP1,000 per unit, or vehicles driven by medical frontliners at PhP300 per unit until 17 April 2020.

The free ride for healthworkers program covers medical communities in the National Capital Region (NCR), as well as in regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, CAR, and CARAGA.

As of 09 April 2020, the free ride program already transported 35,873 health workers residing in NCR, and 87,702 from other regions, for a total of 123,575 medical workers.