Layoffs at the Presidential Broadcasting Service, which operates Radyo Pilipinas, will affect at least 10 Contract of Service staff, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has learned.
Colleagues have been told that, because of budget constraints, their contracts with the state-run radio broadcaster will end on August 31. Official notices were sent out this week.
These cuts come after a government announcment that it is ramping up its campaign against misinformation and disinformation.
Contract of Service and Job Order staff do not have security of tenure and need to be reappointed to keep their jobs. Around 770,000 of 2.4 million government workers are contractual, government employees’ labor group COURAGE said in July.
“It is alarming that many will lose their jobs when the government should be the first to provide employment to the public,” NUJP Metro Manila chair Lourdes Escaros said.
NUJP advocates for the economic and labor rights of journalists and sympathizes with the plight of colleagues who perform the work of regular employees but do not have security of tenure or access to mandated benefits.
Labor contractualization in media is not limited to state media agencies, with corporate media also employing “talents” and “consultants”.