MANILA — The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading the bill seeking to protect those working in the entertainment industry following the death of screen veteran Eddie Garcia.

House Bill 7762, or the “Eddie Garcia Act,” was unanimously passed during the lower chamber’s session on Tuesday, with House members voting 235-0-0.

Voting 235-0-0, House approves on third and final reading HB 7762, instituting policies for the protection and promotion of the welfare of workers or independent contractors in film, television, and radio entertainment industry.

— House of Representatives of the Philippines (@HouseofRepsPH) November 24, 2020

Under the proposed measure, the “Eddie Garcia Act” aims to protect and promote the welfare of workers or independent contractors in the film, television and radio entertainment industry.

Under Section 5 of the HB 7762, “the worker or independent contractor and the employer or principal shall execute an agreement or an employment contract in a language or dialect understood by both parties before the commencement of service.”

It also has a provision concerning hours of work wherein the normal work hours shall only be 8 hours per day, but it can be extended to a maximum of 12 hours “served intermittently or continuously, exclusive of meal periods.”

The bill says permissible working hours in excess of the normal work hours shall be determined by the Tripartite Council, save for some exceptions involving workers aged 60 and above, and minors.

Furthermore, HB 7762 includes provisions on the workers’ wages, social security and welfare benefits, basic necessities, standard of treatment, health and safety, insurance and settlement of disputes, among other labor-related matters.

The first version of this bill was filed at the House of Representatives last year following Garcia’s death after he tripped and fell on the set of a GMA Network series in June 2019.

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