Partylist representing media, showbiz launched

CEBU, Philippines - The Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz Partylist will push to provide the sector it represents housing, health, education and livelihood if given a chance to occupy seats in Congress.

AMS is a nationwide organization of workers in the media and showbiz industry which is composed of announcers, reporters, writers, news producers, production assistants, researchers, cameramen, editors, photographers, drivers, correspondents, columnist, newsboys, film directors, actors and actresses, singers, composers, extras, make-up artists, talents and production crew in television and movies.

“Only five percent of those who are working in the media that we can consider as glamorous. In fact 95 percent of those working in the media are not paid well,” said movie actor and Film Academy of the Philippines director Leo Martinez, who is one of the AMS nominees in a press conference yesterday at Gemino’s Coffee Society at Century Park Hotel in Cebu City.

Other nominees who attended the press conference are famous surgeon and showbiz personality Dr. Manny Calayan and National Press Club vice president Rolando Gonzalo.

AMS aims to push for the upliftment of the working media’s socio-economic concerns, ensuring the protection of the freedom of speech and prior restraints, help the dying showbiz industry and push for the passage of the Media Working Bill, which is now left in the House’s archive.

Gonzalo said that most members of the media especially the frontliners are often oppressed and facing life-threatening coverages and yet are underpaid.

“Tayo ay banat ng banat na ang mga taong itong walang sweldo o maliit ang sweldo and yet tayong mga nasa media at ganoon din,” Gonzalo said.

Dr. Calayan said that scholarships for members of the media, housing projects and other medical benefits including funeral benefits must be accorded to the members in the media industry.

“Kasi tayo pag may namatay na member of the press, lagi na lang tayong pass the hat. Dapat matigil na to. Dapat may pondo talaga na nakalaan para sa kanila,” said Gonzalo.

Gonzalo is confident that AMS will get a seat in Congress, adding that they will be tapping all press clubs in the country to help in their campaign.

He added that AMS does not include media outfit owners, whose concerns are different to that of the marginalized members of the media sector. — THE FREEMAN