“The decision of MTRCB to suspend ‘It’s Showtime’ and the ‘no work, no pay’ issue are two separate and distinct matters."
This was the reaction of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to the labor issue related to the ongoing controversy surrounding the suspension of the noontime program, It's Showtime.
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The show was meted a 12-day suspension by the MTRCB after an alleged indecent act by hosts and real-life couple Vice Ganda and Ion Perez in one of its segments.
The agency likewise junked the motion of reconsideration filed by the show's production team and GMA Network to appeal the initial decision.
Read: MTRCB denies motion for reconsideration of 'It’s Showtime'
Following the denial, actor and Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. made a call to the MTRCB to reconsider its position, citing the plight of the staff working behind the camera.
The concept of "no work, no pay" is common practice in the entertainment industry, where workers are paid based on the labor rendered for the day.
“Sila yung mga ‘no work-no pay’ na kung matutuloy ang suspension ay dalawang linggong walang kikitain at kakainin,” Revilla said in a statement.
Contractualization Issues
In a statement released on Sunday, October 1, 2023, the MTRCB explained that the issue of contractualization is a separate subject that needs to be discussed in a different forum.
"The suspension, in fact, underscores the broader and more pressing matter of contractualization within the entertainment industry,” the agency mentioned.
“The issue deserves sincere attention from the producer.”
Continued the MTRCB, “The practice by the Producer, or Management to not regularize their employees, even when a show has been airing live for six days a week, for over a decade, highlights a much bigger problem than the show’s 12-airing-day suspension."
The agency "empathize" with the affected workers, but has to adhere to its responsibilities and duties as a regulatory body.
"We sincerely empathize with the hardworking individuals who will be affected once the suspension takes effect," the statement reads.
"However, we believe that the inability of the management to provide regular employment should not impinge on the duty of the MTRCB to uphold its mandate in ensuring the ethical compliance of broadcasting content by any production company or television network pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1986.
The MTRCB further said, “It remains the prerogative of the Producer/Management to suspend/sanction erring host/s as they deem fit, which has been the practice of other noontime shows, as hosts are beyond the jurisdiction of the MTRCB."
Here's a copy of the statement released this morning by the MTRCB:
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