Baguio council urges DSWD to give COVID-19 economic aid to media

BAGUIO CITY –– The City Council on Monday (May 4) urged the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Officer to include media workers in their economic alleviation programs.

They also asked the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Trade and Industry to list covering reporters, cameramen, and broadcast journalists in their livelihood programs once the quarantine imposed to contain the coronavirus disease is lifted.

Like most workers, members of the media are also gravely affected by the pandemic, said Councilor Arthur Allad-iw in a resolution that was passed during the council’s regular session.

Most active media workers in the city are paid based on the number of published stories, said Allag-iw. He said many Baguio media companies also lost revenues during the lockdown.

“Advertisement is the lifeblood of any media outfit, which is the main source of compensation for their workers, regular or not,” who help communicate the issues surrounding the disease, Allad-iw said.

The Baguio Correspondent and Broadcasters Club (BCBC), the biggest organization of Baguio journalists, said as many as 1,000 media workers from 12 newspapers, four television stations, and 15 radio stations operate in Baguio.

BCBC has established a media help desk at the city public information office. The media group has been distributing personal protective equipment, food packs, and food supplements to its members every week.

LZB