Here’s How to Get Your P8,000 DEAR ACTION! Financial Aid from FDCP

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Here's How to Get Your P8,000 DEAR ACTION! Financial Aid from FDCP


If you are a technical crew, production or post-production staff, stunt person, actor, dubber, or any other freelance audio-visual (AV) content worker with a “no work, no pay” status whose work was abruptly cancelled or postponed as a direct result of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation, then you can apply for the DEAR ACTION! financial assistance worth P8,000 from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).



As an immediate response to the COVID-19 crisis, FDCP launched DEAR which stands for Disaster/Emergency Assistance and Relief. FDCP set up the DEAR Program by reallocating budget from its existing funds to help ease the burden of disaster-affected AV industry stakeholders not only during this current public health emergency situation but also in the event of future calamities and emergencies. The DEAR Program will only be activated once the President of the Republic of the Philippines declares a state of calamity due to a major natural disaster or public health emergency.



The DEAR Program was first activated on March 23, and under it is the DEAR ACTION! (For Displaced Freelance AV Workers) program that aims to give P8,000 financial assistance to freelance AV content industry members who suddenly lost work or became out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the Enhanced Community Quarantine implementation in Luzon and declaration of a national state of calamity.



In order to be a qualified DEAR ACTION! applicant, you must have had five (5) work days (whether pre-production, production, or post-production) that were cancelled or postponed within the period of March 15 to April 14, 2020. You also must not have a direct employer and you must not be qualified for government-instituted benefits. Due to the limited funds of FDCP, the initial run of DEAR ACTION! will provide income support to 2,000 workers. While DEAR ACTION! is open to eligible disaster-affected freelance AV content workers, FDCP reserves the right to prioritize low-income individuals during its initial disbursement of funds. Low-income individuals are those whose talent fee is around P3,000 or less per day or have a package rate of P20,000 or less per project.



FDCP has already been accepting numerous inquiries and applications for the DEAR ACTION! financial assistance. You still have a lot of time to file a claim because the deadline for submission of applications is on April 24, 2020. Here is a guide to help you in filing for the one-time P8,000 assistance from the FDCP DEAR ACTION! Program:




Contact the FDCP National Registry, the implementing office of the DEAR Program, at dearnationalregistry@fdcp.ph or 0917-8003227.




Prepare the following documents to prove your loss of engagement during the COVID-19 situation:




Copy of your current membership to the National Registry for Audio-Visual Workers (NRAW)



For non-members, your NRAW application may be filed together with your DEAR ACTION! application. In light of the COVID-19 situation, the NRAW processing fee is waived.



Filled out DEAR ACTION! Application Form



Affidavit of Unemployment



Template is available at http://fdcp.ph/dear-program


No need to notarize for now but your signature must be affixed on the form



Copy of any proof of income



Latest income tax return (ITR)


Vouchers


Payslips


Issued OR (official receipt) to client or producer



Proof of Engagement that accounts for at least five (5) days of cancelled or suspended work from March 15 to April 14, 2020



Call Sheet


Text messages


E-mails


Contract of Service


Certificate of Engagement


Any Certification signed by the employer or producer



Proof of Cancellation within the period of March 15 to April 14, 2020



E-mails or text messages regarding suspension of work


Notice of cancellation, etc.




Submit the documents online to the FDCP National Registry at dearnationalregistry@fdcp.ph. Although hard copy applications are discouraged during the Enhanced Community Quarantine, there are DEAR Program drop boxes at the FDCP Office located at 855 T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila.


Once your DEAR ACTION! application is approved, FDCP personnel will deposit the P8,000 to your bank account or will send it through a money remittance service. If your DEAR ACTION! application is approved but you have incomplete requirements, you will be given 21 calendar days from the date of approval to complete your documents. Failure to submit documentary requirements will result in the denial of your DEAR ACTION! assistance.



As the DEAR Program is a government fund and in the spirit of serving the AV industry, beneficiaries are required to participate in two (2) events, activities, or projects led or supported by FDCP as a return service. This should be done for free within two (2) years from the receipt of the DEAR ACTION! financial assistance.



Meanwhile, FDCP has opened the DEAR for Independent Film Companies for AV companies that are interested to apply for DEAR ACTION! on behalf of their freelance workers, provided that they meet all of the qualifications and requirements stated above. A company applying for the DEAR ACTION! must have a production or business that was suspended as a direct result of COVID-19. An extra step is the need to verify the company’s legitimacy. Here are the requirements for companies applying for DEAR ACTION! on behalf of its freelancers:




Copy of the notice of current membership to the National Registry for Companies (NRC)




For non-members, the NRC application may be filed together with the DEAR application.



Filled out DEAR for Independent Film Companies Application Form



Affidavit of Unemployment for each eligible worker




Template is available at http://fdcp.ph/dear-program


No need to notarize for now but company representative’s signature must be affixed on the form



Copy of any proof of income for each eligible worker




Latest income tax return (ITR)


Vouchers


Payslips


Issued OR (official receipt) to client or producer



Proof of Engagement of each worker with the company that accounts for at least five (5) days of cancelled or suspended work from March 15 to April 14, 2020




Call Sheet


Contract of Service


Certificate of Engagement


Any Certification signed by the company owner or producer



Evidence of Unemployment of each eligible worker within the period of March 15 to April 14, 2020




E-mails or text messages regarding suspension of work


Notice of cancellation, etc.





For more information, kindly contact:



FDCP NATIONAL REGISTRY

Mobile: +63 917 800 3227

E-mail: dearnationalregistry@fdcp.ph

Web page: http://fdcp.ph/dear-program (downloadable documents are DEAR Fact Sheet, DEAR ACTION! Form, Certificate of Engagement, and Affidavit of Unemployment)

Facebook page: http://facebook.com/FDCPNationalRegistry

Address: 855 T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila

DOTr provides fuel subsidy to bus companies participating in the Free Bus Service Program for Health Workers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Bus companies and partners participating in the DOTr Free Ride for Health Workers Program get to receive fuel subsidies from the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in order to sustain the continuous operation of the program, as Luzon remains under enhanced community quarantine.

This initiative stems from the directive of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade to aid bus companies and partners that have provided support to ferry health workers to their designated hospitals amid the increasing threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country.

The fuel subsidy program for participating bus units was made possible through the partnership of the DOTr with Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc.

“For our buses to continue bringing our frontliners to their medical communities, we need to at least ease their burden. With that, we are grateful for our donor, [Phoenix Petroleum Ph]. Malaking tulong ho ito para magtuluy-tuloy tayo sa serbisyo ng pagtulong sa ating mga health workers.. Malaking tulong ho ito sa mga modernong bayani nating nagsasakripisyo para sa ating mga kababayan,” Secretary Tugade expressed.

For the initial implementation of the fuel subsidy program, sixty (60) private bus companies will each be given an allocation of 50 liters of fuel daily.

For bus companies to avail of the subsidy, bus units should at least complete two (2) round trips on a given day. They will be provided with a voucher at different staging areas. The vouchers will be certified and signed by the staging area leader and will then be signed thereafter by the authorized representative at the assigned gas stations.

Seven (7) Phoenix gas stations have already identified where the participating private bus units can avail of the subsidy: PX RETAIL CODO-Timog and PNX RETAIL CODO-Bahay Toro in Quezon City; PNX RETAIL CODO-Mall of Asia in Pasay City; PNX AFA PSPC-NAIA Road in Parañaque City; PNX RETAIL CODO-Malanday 1 in Valenzuela; PNX RETAIL CODO-Potrero in Malabon; and PNX AFA PSPC-Filinvest-Northgate in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

For his part, Phoenix Petroleoum Philippines, Inc. Senior Vice President Atty. Raymond Zorilla expressed their company’s full support to the DOTr Free Ride For Health Workers Program, saying that they want to contribute in making travelling easier for health workers, who, they believe, play a very important role in the current situation.

"Phoenix is committed to our goal of becoming an indispensible partner of everyone whose life we touch, and we wanted to show to the people that even during a crisis like this, Phoenix is here to serve them and even extend more help to those in need,” Phoenix SVP Zorilla said.

“We partnered with DOTr because we support the government's efforts in helping our health workers. Their role in this situation is crucial, so we want to make it easier for these brave individuals. Through this initiative, we will be able to help more people, while staying true to our ‘Sasamahan ka ng Phoenix’ battlecry," Atty. Zorilla added.

Since its initial launch on 18 March 2020, the DOTr Free Bus Service Program for Health Workers has transported 15,403 medical frontliners as of 30 March.

From its initial three (3) routes during its first day of operations, the program, which operates 24/7 now serves 19 routes.

PHLPost deploys “Green Delivery” electric vehicles for relief operations in Pasig City

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has deployed its environment friendly “Green Delivery” electric assisted bicycles in the transportation and delivery of relief goods to communities and medical supplies for health workers dealing with Covid-19.

PHLPost is advocating #PusongPHLPost to emphasize the postal agency’s role in fulfilling its avowed mission to serve the Filipino people in its own capacity during these trying times.

These “Green Delivery” electric bicycles are a landmark initiative of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), PHLPost, Pasig Transport, TailG, the Pasig Government and Clean Air Asia to assist the local government in the delivery of postal items.

Due to their mobility, these small electric vans and bicycles can penetrate narrow streets and roads for easy distribution of food packs and relief goods to residents staying at home while under strict Enhance Community Quarantine (ECQ) to help stop or slow down the spread of disease.

The vehicle is a pilot testing project to facilitate sustainable transport to thrive in the “Green City” of Pasig. It is one big step towards achieving a fully modernized postal system serving the needs of Filipinos using eco-friendly vehicles.

“What we have now in Pasig can be replicated in other parts of the country”, PHLPost said.

PHLPost has recognized the importance of transitioning to cleaner mail deliveries by using eco-friendly vehicles for postman in the Philippines. Their mission: to deliver fast and efficient postal services anywhere in the country.

These special customized electric bicycles’ are being donated by Chinese manufacturer Tailing Electric Vehicles Co. Ltd (TAILG).