Gatchalian urges DOLE: probe delayed salaries, grievances of workers under DepEd TV project

Senator Win Gatchalian is urging the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to probe allegations of delayed compensation and other complaints of media and production workers from various media organizations involved in DepEd TV.

Media workers and executive producers (EP) of Ei2 Tech, Inc., a production company tapped by the Department of Education (DepEd) to produce TV episodes for distance learning, demanded for the release of their payments. Some of them reported that they have not received full compensation from the company for rendered work since September 2020.

The EPs said that they were promised to receive payment on December 18, 2020 but they never received compensation despite their non-stop work. That same month, 15 EPs wrote to television host Paolo Bediones, Ei2 Tech, Inc. owner, to seek an explanation on the delays and to call for the release of their payments. When the letter was leaked to the media, the EPs said they were threatened by Bediones with libel.

DepEd has clarified though that its engagement with the company at first was purely on a voluntary basis. It was on December 29, 2020 that the agency awarded Ei2 Tech, Inc. a P45.5 million contract for the first phase of the DepEd TV project.

As of second week of March, DepEd officials said it has released P9 million partial payments to Bediones' company and cited delays in accounting transactions. The second phase of the project amounts to P200 million and is currently going through a bidding process.

"Ang mga media workers na naging bahagi ng DepEd TV ay may malaking ambag sa pagpapatuloy ng edukasyon ngayong panahon ng pandemya kaya dapat naman siguraduhin natin na hindi nahuhuli ang bayad sa kanila bilang sukli sa kanilang serbisyo," said the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Changing policies was another concern that the EPs raised. While most of them were initially promised by the company a monthly flat rate payment of P50 to 60 thousand per person, they were told later on that they will instead be paid P3,750 per episode. Worse, they claimed that they were asked to produce official receipts (ORs) last minute because they are considered "suppliers" since they are not regular employees. If they can't produce ORs, they were told to ask for assistance from the company's accountant to process them for a fee of P5,000.

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Gatchalian nanawagan sa DOLE na imbestigahan ang 'di maayos na pasweldo sa DepEd TV

Hinimok ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) na imbestigahan ang reklamong pagkaantala ng sahod ng maraming media and production workers na kinuha para bumuo ng mga programang ipapalabas sa DepEd TV.

Ang tinutukoy nilang kumpanya ay ang Ei2 Tech, Inc. na pagmamay-ari ng television host na si Paolo Bediones. Ayon sa ilang mga manggagawa, hindi nila natanggap ang kabuuan ng kanilang sahod simula pa noong Setyembre ng 2020. Ayon sa mga nagrereklamong executive producers (EP), pinangakuan sila ng kumpanya na matatanggap nila ang kanilang sahod sa Disyembre 18, 2020 ngunit hindi nangyari ito, sa halip ay nagpatuloy raw sila sa pagtatrabaho kahit walang natatanggap na sweldo.

Noong Disyembre rin ay napwersang sumulat ang ilang EPs kay Bediones upang malaman ang dahilan kung bakit hindi sila nakakasahod. Pero ikinagulat ng mga manggagawa na pinagbantaan pa raw sila ni Bediones na kakasuhan ng libel noong nag-leak sa media ang kanilang mga hinaing.

Paliwanag naman ng DepEd, boluntaryo lamang noong una ang pakikipag-ugnayan nila sa Ei2 Tech, Inc. Kalauna'y ginawa na itong opisyal noong Disyembre 29, 2020 nang ipinagkaloob ng ahensiya sa kumpanya ang kontratang nagkakahalaga ng higit apatnaput limang (45.5) milyong piso para sa pagpapatuloy ng proyektong DepEd TV.

Noong ikalawang linggo ng Marso, nagpaluwal ang DepEd ng paunang bayad na siyam (9) na milyong piso sa kumpanya. May kabagalan nga lang anila ang proseso sa accounting. Samantala, ang ikalawang bahagi ng proyekto ay nagkakahalaga ng dalawang daang (200) milyong piso at kasalukuyang dumadaan pa sa proseso ng bidding.

"Ang mga media workers na naging bahagi ng DepEd TV ay may malaking ambag sa pagpapatuloy ng edukasyon ngayong panahon ng pandemya kaya dapat naman siguraduhin natin na hindi nahuhuli ang bayad sa kanila bilang sukli sa kanilang serbisyo," ayon sa Chairman ng Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture.

Ibinahagi rin ng mga EPs na ang ipinangakong buwanang sahod sa kanila ay limampung libo (P50,000) hanggang animnapung libong piso (P60,000) na kalauna'y nauwi sa tatlong libo at pitong daang piso (P3,750) na lamang kada tao sa bawat episode. At dahil hindi sila mga regular na empleyado, sila ay itinuturing na "suppliers" kaya kailangan raw nilang magpakita ng official receipts (ORs). Pero kung wala naman, magbayad na lang raw sila ng tig limang libong piso (P5,000) sa kumpanya para sa OR.

Nagsimulang umarangkada noong isang taon ang DepEd TV bilang alternatibong pamamaraan ng pag-aaral sa new normal.

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