Funds lost to flood control could have funded entertainment industry, says film workers group

The billions of pesos that may have been siphoned due to the flood control scandal anomalies could have been used to fund the country’s entertainment industry, helping to improve the conditions of undercompensated workers, according to the Film Workers Against Corruption (FWAC) on Friday.

“Filipino filmmakers are no different from workers in other industries—they’re also overworked and underpaid,” JL T. Burgos, Chairperson of Surian ng Sining, said in Filipino during the sidelines of the Film Workers Against Corruption press briefing.

“When funds are corrupted, only a few benefit. If arts and culture were given higher funding, it would greatly help below-the-line workers,” he added.

Mr. Burgos said that most independent entertainment industry workers depend on government grants, as they do not have financial backing from big media companies to produce content.

Through increased government funding, below-the-line workers, who usually work behind the scenes and are often overlooked, would receive fairer compensation, he said.

According to the National Expenditure Program (NEP), for the 2026 fiscal year, P1.8 billion is being allocated to cultural agencies like the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Museum of the Philippines, among other relevant agencies.

For filmmaker Joanne Marian B. Cesario, filmmaker, the budget allocated for cultural agencies is only a fraction of the P100 billion alleged to have been siphoned off through corruption.

“Just compare it to the P100 billion that was pocketed and put in suitcases. The disparity is clear,” she said in Filipino during the briefing.

The insertion was allegedly included in the 2025 national budget, greenlighted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., according to former lawmaker Elizaldy S. Co.

The group also called for accountability for everyone proven to be involved in the flood control anomaly, including President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. if evidence confirms his involvement, as well as for other alleged corruption cases, such as the supposed misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sarah Jane I. Duterte.

“We are being confronted with two faces of corruption,” Mr. Burgos said, referring to the Marcos and Duterte factions.

“Both are thieves. There is no difference between stealing from the flood control fund and the confidential funds,” he added.

The alliance also urged better implementation of the “Eddie Garcia Law,” which is intended to protect workers’ welfare.

They called for proper enforcement of work hours, fair wages, benefits, and regularization, and for the law to detail standardized salaries for below-the-line workers.

Under Republic Act 11961, employers must provide workers or contractors with a copy of their contracts, specifying their work hours, job position and description, length of employment, and details of their compensation in a language both parties can understand.

The law also requires the provision of wage-related benefits, overtime pay, and social security along with other government-mandated benefits.

The group also called for a reduction of the 30 percent amusement tax on movie and television ticket sales, which is mandated under the Local Government Code (RA 7160), noting that the high rate exacerbates the financial strain of the industry amid limited government funding and alleged misuse of public funds.

The Film Workers Against Corruption said it will join the anti-corruption rally, dubbed “Baha sa Luneta 2.0,” on Nov. 30, to seek accountability for corruption in the government. — Edg Adrian A. Eva