Giant media firm laying off workers

CEBU CITY—The “strategic streamlining” program being implemented by giant broadcast network GMA 7 has cost the jobs of at least 80 employees and talents in three of the network’s regional stations in the Visayas.

Reporters, cameramen, production crew members and administrative staffers of GMA 7 stations in Cebu, Iloilo and Bacolod cities received their termination notices on Friday and Saturday although they would receive their pay until the end of May.

There were reports that the same fate befell employees and talents of GMA 7 regional offices in Naga, Ilocos, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, but these could not be confirmed.

In a statement, Angela Javier Cruz, GMA Network Inc. vice president for corporate communications, said the network was undertaking a “strategic streamlining of programs and manpower in its provincial stations to ensure business competitiveness.”

As a result, she said manpower was reduced to make operations more efficient.

No closure

“We are not closing down any station. We ended the morning program and some employees were affected by this streamlining effort of the network,” she said in a text message to the Inquirer.

In the case of its Bacolod station, 31 members of the administrative and news departments were told about the nonrenewal of their contracts that would end on April 30.

With the termination of all the Bacolod station’s workers, an employee, who asked not to be named, said the facility would be reduced into a mere relay station.

The announcement of termination came as a shock to the employees who had no inkling they would be jobless by May.

“It was so sudden. Our separation checks and papers were already prepared,” said one of at least 30 affected employees and talents in GMA Iloilo.

Those laid off in Iloilo included regular employees of the company who had been with the network from four to nine years. They were told that they were being laid off due to redundancy, streamlining and refocusing.

Some of those retrenched signed their separation papers indicating that it was done under protest.

A GMA staffer in Bacolod told the Inquirer that GMA Manila officials met them on Friday night.

“We thought they had good news to tell us about our contracts,” said the staffer.

Cebu layoffs

“The officials told us that as part of the company’s streamlining efforts, work would end today,” he added. “We were surprised. There was no prior warning,” he said.

At least 20 news reporters, talents and cameramen of GMA Cebu received the shocking news from the company’s officers from the legal department on Friday.

“I was so overwhelmed by emotion that I could not think properly. So I just signed and received the checks,” said Jun Veliganio, GMA senior correspondent in Cebu.

The separation pay is equivalent to one month salary per year of service, he added.

Although they would still receive their pay until the end of May, Veliganio immediately turned over his ID and other properties of the station, did not punch out and went home even before the end of his shift at 9 p.m.

Fourteen of the retrenched personnel came from the news department, had regular employment status and were working for the “24 Oras Central Visayas,” an afternoon news program in Cebuano.

Among those retrenched were news producer Jessie Campos, junior desk editor Randy Gorion, four reporters, three editors, five cameramen and two hosts of the defunct morning show “Buena Mano.”

Campos and Veliganio had been with GMA since 1999 when GMA came out with an afternoon newscast in Cebuano, “Balitang Bisdak,” which was recently changed to “24 Oras Central Visayas.”

Also affected were a make-up artist, an associate producer and two members of the engineering department.

In Cagayan de Oro City, a source said GMA 7 personnel were told on Friday it would be their last day of broadcast because “24 Oras Northern Mindanao” would go off-air.

The employees, however, were not yet informed about their employment status. Connie Fernandez, Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Carla P. Gomez and Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas