Labor group hails probe of actor Eddie Garcia’s death

MANILA, Philippines — The labor group Federation of Free Workers (FFW) welcomed the move of the Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) to conduct a probe of the accident that led to the death of actor-director Eddie Garcia.

“The set of a television series is definitely a workplace; and the producers, as employers, cannot deny this as the actors and crew are their employees,” FFW vice president Julius Cainglet told reporters.

“Investigators should find out if basic OSH standards were implemented, such as having a safety and health plan, an OSH committee composed of employers and workers, and an OSH audit of the set prior to the start of working days and working hours,” he said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said over the weekend that he had ordered the OSHC to find out if there was compliance with its rules and standards.

Cainglet said that what happened to Garcia could be a good test case of the government’s seriousness in implementing the OSH law, or Republic Act No. 11058, passed in August 2018.

“The new OSH law should be taken seriously. It is not intended for the manufacturing and construction industries only. It is intended for implementation and application in all industries, show biz included,” he stressed.

On June 8, the 90-year-old Garcia was shooting a scene for an upcoming GMA TV series in Tondo, Manila, when he reportedly tripped on cable wires, causing him to fall to the ground. He was in a coma for nearly two weeks before he died on June 20. — Tina G. Santos