Foĺlowing ABS-CBN’s announcement of its retrenchment program, TV5 chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said the network is opening its doors for displaced ABS-CBN employees.
The media giant stopped its broadcasting operations on May 5 and was denied a franchise renewal by Congress.
Pangilinan enumerated positions that can be filled up by ABS-CBN employees. He added they are ready to accept them If they are willing to work for the network.
“We are revving up our entertainment content creation and will need creatives, talents, directors, scriptwriters, cameramen, etc.,” Pangilinan said in an interview with MVP Group-owned Philippine Star.
“If these are willing and able to work with us, we’re prepared to offer alternative jobs for the relevant displaced workers over time,” he said.
Presently, according to him, the two networks have not talked about this yet.
However, he said ABS-CBN is in talks with its rival Cignal TV to rent a channel from the latter and air some of its TV programs.
Cignal TV is a pay TV company and a subsidiary of the PLDT Group’s content arm MediaQuest Holdings.
He said Cignal is currently assessing this offer and may soon decide on it. This is aimed to help ABS-CBN widen its audience after its forced shutdown.
ABS-CBN did not disclose yet the number of employees and its subsidiaries which would be cut off on August 31. The media company said they are doing all they can in assisting displaced employees.
“We are doing all we can to mitigate the pain that will be felt by those affected, including paying out separation and retirement benefits and providing job placement programs,” ABS-CBN said in an earlier statement.
“As much as it hurts us to implement this retrenchment program, this is the only way to ensure the continued employment of the rest of our Kapamilya.”
Many groups, journalists, celebrities, and individuals protested against the government’s strike against ABS-CBN which was seen as an attack on press freedom. This came as the country suffers from the crisis brought by COVID-19 and all-time high unemployment rate.
