AFTER over two decades, 145 former employees of the government-owned Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC-13) have finally received their retirement pay.
Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said it was only in the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the much-awaited payout was released to the IBC workers.
The PCO said at least 25 former IBC-13 workers have died without receiving their retirement pay.
In her speech during the awarding ceremony on Friday, PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the President made a marching order to settle the claims of IBC retirees.
“The President gave the instruction to help resolve their claims as addressing the welfare of media workers is one of the cornerstones of his administration and of the PCO. So, it is a great honor for me to be able to be part of this much-awaited and much-deserved awarding of benefits to our colleagues in the media,” Garafil said.
IBC-13 President and CEO Jimmie Policarpio said about 200 families benefitted from the settlement of the retirement benefits, noting that most of the remaining retirees are already on maintenance medicines or facing a host of medical problems while some are “gravely ill.”
“With spirits of thanksgiving, they can now look forward to enjoying their waning years with dignity and pride in having served God, country, and people,” Policarpio said.
He thanked the Marcos administration for providing the environment that helped facilitate the release of the retirement pay.
Previous administrations said since 2004, the network lost most of its income from primetime blocktime shows, or those that pay the station for air time.
It subsisted on funds released by the Department of Budget and Management and in recent years, from senators.
There were plans for the network’s privatization but they were shelved because of the Covid-19 pandemic. (PNA/GP)
