HOUSE Assistant Majority Floor Leader and ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Niña Taduran on Sunday commended the media for its courageous role in providing information to the public in the midst of the pandemic as the world celebrates Press Freedom Day.

Taduran, a broadcaster, said that media workers never stopped gathering stories and telling them through different platforms even though they are facing the dangers from coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19).

She said some media workers are dealing with reduced salaries, long work hours, and zero health benefits, and yet they continue to serve the public.

“Laban lang. Umiiyak na sa takot at hirap, pero tuloy pa rin sa kanilang trabaho ang mga mamamahayag. Binawasan ang suweldo, walang insurance, kanya-kanya sa pagprotekta sa kanilang kalusugan, pero patuloy pa ring naghahanap ng istorya sa labas dahil kailangang maihatid ang balita sa publiko,” Taduran said.

At the same time, the lady House leader reminded all media workers to uphold their responsibility of ensuring truthful, fair and just reporting.

“As we unite traditional media with social media, let us remember that we have one goal – to inform and spread what is honest, truthful and helpful. May we be guided with the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebration, which is ‘information as a public good.’ Media should tell the news as it is and be the guardian of truth and justice,” Taduran said.

Taduran is the author of the Media Workers Welfare Bill, which has already passed the third and final reading at the House of Representatives.

The consolidated House Bill (HB) No. 8140, originally HB No. 2476 and authored by Taduran, is a game changer as this will professionalize the media industry and will ensure journalists, technical people and other media workers of proper safeguards as they perform their jobs.

Under the bill, all media workers will be given wages mandated by law, enjoy security of tenure, will be accorded the appropriate hazard and overtime pay plus insurance and other benefits.

All media workers who are assigned to cover dangerous and hazardous events or situations shall be given an additional ₱500 daily pay, the bill said.

According to the measure, death and disability benefits amounting to ₱200, 000 shall also be awarded to the affected media worker.

Media workers will be provided with bullet proof vests and helmets and medical grade personal protective equipment during hazardous coverage, it said.

Taduran was a TV and radio broadcaster before she joined the House of Representatives.