Tulfo demands action on PTV4 employees' overdue salary increase

Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo rattled the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) and the leadership of state-owned People's Television Network (PTV4) for its failure to act on the employees' request for salary increase in the past 15 years.

During the Senate Finance Committee's hearing for the proposed 2023 budget of the OPS and its attached agencies last Oct. 10, Tulfo stated that PTV-4's management also failed to regularize their contract-of-service employees who have been with the network for more than a decade.

"Mahirap po ang trabaho ng mga reporters ng PTV4. Sila po ang nasa frontline para pa-gwapuhin ang imahe ng administrasyon. Ginagawa din po nila ang lahat to properly disseminate news and information. Pero ano pong ganti sa kanila? Kinakawawa sila," he said.

Tulfo, who worked as a PTV4 reporter and eventually became one of its anchors, said the below industry standard salaries and lack of job security of media practitioners in the network have not improved since he left long time ago.

Admitting the lack of salary increase among employees of PTV4 for the past 15 years, OPS-Broadcast Media Services Usec. Ina Reformina underscored the need for a new organizational structure approved by the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCGs) to secure workers' salary increase.

When asked by Tulfo to give a specific timeline in solving contractualization and salary problem of PTV4 employees, Head Executive Assistant Raymund Sanchez said they are finalizing the complete staff work and will hopefully fix the problem in two years.

The Senator from Davao and Isabela also asked the OPS and PTV4 management to urgently fix the decaying facilities of PTV4, as he showed a video compilation of the network's decaying office, which was sent to him by the network's staff.

The video showed the renovated Studio C of PTV4 which was not utilized for its purpose because it became like a warehouse with different items, as well as chairs in offices that were tied up to cabinets to ensure that they can sit while working because office furniture were not enough.

It also showed the parking area overcrowded with cars; the ineffective waterproofing in the props office which are causing leaks in the hallway and the roof; and unsanitary and unserviceable comfort rooms with bowls that are tied up.

"20 years ago noong nagtrabaho ako diyan, hanggang ngayon ganyan pa rin ang kalagayan diyan. Walang asenso. Ano pong ginagawa ng GM at Chairman ng PTV4 ng nakaraang administrasyon at hindi po na-address 'yan? I can tell you. Kinurakot siguro nila ang budget para sa PTV4," Tulfo said.

As a then rookie reporter who was not a regular employee, Tulfo recalled how he could not complain to PTV4 management about all these issues because he could easily get fired from work.

Aside from corruption, Tulfo maintained that PTV4 has failed to improve through the years because the people that were assigned to manage it have no heart and passion for the job and would only care about the paycheck.

"Kung naglagay sana kayo ng tao na talagang may karanasan sa pagma-manage ng TV network, at mayroon talagang puso at dedikasyon sa kanyang trabaho, e matagal na po sanang na-improve ang PTV4. Kaya siguro hindi umasenso 'yan, kasi walang pakialam ang mga taong umupo, kasi alam nila na after six years, ay aalis na sila doon, at bahala na ang papalit sa kanila. Ang alam ay pera-pera lang," he said.

To get a clearer view of the problems and hear the pleas of the employees firsthand, Tulfo then advised OPS OIC Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil to visit the office of the PTV 4 and talk to its employees, to which Garafil agreed to do.

Tulfo, a known fighter for laborers' rights, said the problems surrounding PTV4 and its employees are very personal to him because he started his broadcasting career in the network.

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Taasan ang pasahod sa mga PTV 4 reporters! -Tulfo

Kinalampag ni Senator Idol Raffy Tulfo ang Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) at ang pamunuan ng State-owned People's Television Network (PTV4) dahil sa hindi pag-aksyon sa matagal ng kahilingan ng mga empleyado para sa taas pasahod.

Sa pagdinig ng Senate Finance Committee para sa panukalang 2023 budget ng OPS at mga kalakip nitong ahensya noong Oktubre 10, sinabi ni Tulfo na nabigo rin ang pamunuan ng PTV-4 na gawing regular ang kanilang mga contract-of-service na empleyado.

"Mahirap po ang trabaho ng mga reporters ng PTV44. Sila po ang nasa frontline para pa-gwapuhin ang imahe ng administrasyon. Ginagawa din po nila ang lahat to properly disseminate news and information. Pero ano pong ganti sa kanila? Kinakawawa sila," ani Tulfo.

Nagtrabaho bilang reporter at anchor ng PTV4 si Tulfo dati, at sinabi niyang walang pinagbago ang network mula noon hanggang ngayon.

Sinabi ni OPS-Broadcast Media Services Usec. Ina Reformina na kailangan nila ng bagong organizational structure na aprubado ng Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCGs) upang matiyak ang pagtaas ng suweldo ng mga manggagawa.

Nang hilingin ni Tulfo na magbigay ng isang tiyak na timeline sa paglutas ng problema sa kontraktwalisasyon at suweldo ng mga empleyado ng PTV4, nagbigay si Head Executive Assistant Raymund Sanchez ng dalawang taon.

Hiniling din ng mambabatas sa pamunuan ng OPS at PTV4 na agarang ayusin ang mga nabubulok na pasilidad ng PTV4.

Napanood sa pinakitang video ni Tulfo ang Studio C ng PTV4 na naging tambakan nalang ng mga gamit, pati na rin ang mga upuan sa mga opisina na nakatali sa mga cabinet.

Ipinakita rin dito ang parking area na puno ng mga sasakyan; ang hindi epektibong waterproofing dahil mayroong mga tagas sa hallway at bubong; at maduming kubeta.

"20 years ago noong nagtrabaho ako diyan, hanggang ngayon ganyan pa rin ang kalagayan diyan. Walang asenso. Ano pong ginagawa ng GM at Chairman ng PTV4 ng nakaraang administrasyon at hindi po na-address 'yan? I can tell you. Kinurakot siguro nila ang budget para sa PTV4," ani Tulfo.

Naalala ni Tulfo na noong siya ay nagtatrabaho pa sa PTV 4 ay bawal mong punahin ang mga problema sa network dahil pwede kang sibakin ng management at mawalan ng trabaho.

Bukod sa katiwalian, iginiit ni Tulfo na ang PTV4 ay hindi nag-improve dahil walang puso sa trabaho ang mga namuno dito.

"Kung naglagay sana kayo ng tao na talagang may karanasan sa pagma-manage ng TV network, at mayroon talagang puso at dedikasyon sa kanyang trabaho, e matagal na po sanang na-improve ang PTV4. Kaya siguro hindi umasenso 'yan, kasi walang pakialam ang mga taong umupo, kasi alam nila na after six years, ay aalis na sila doon, at bahala na ang papalit sa kanila. Ang alam ay pera-pera lang," ani Tulfo.

Pinayuhan ni Tulfo si OPS OIC Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil na bisitahin ang opisina ng PTV 4 at makipag-usap sa mga empleyado nito, upang makita ang tunay na sitwasyon sa network.

Ani Tulfo, ang mga problemang kinakaharap ng at mga empleyado nito ay napakapersonal sa kanya dahil nagsimula siya sa kanyang broadcasting career sa network.