A bill that seeks to establish a Journalists Welfare Fund aimed at strengthening the independence of media practitioners in the country, has been filed by Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, a House press release said yesterday.

Puentevella said House Bill 489 hopes to protect and ensure the welfare of the media practitioners by providing them monetary benefits for work-related injury, disability or death. "The proposed measure would uphold and ensure the welfare of the media," Puentevella said in the press release.

Under the bill, a Journalists Cooperative, which will administer the Journalists Welfare Fund, will be established with the national government appropriating P50,000 as its start up capital. The amount shall be included in the General Appropriations Act of the Cooperative Development Authority.

Aside from the P50 000 from the government, media outfits that engage in the news business, whether print, radio or television, shall set aside one percent of their income derived from every ad or commercial placement for the benefit of all journalists, the press release said.

The amount, which will form part of the fund, shall be claimed as tax credit by the media outfits, subject to the rules and regulation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Puentevella added that a system of remittance for the one percent ad/commercial income to the Cooperative shall be established within one year by the cooperative and may be availed of after the remittance system has been established.

Puentevella proposed that the Journalists Cooperative be composed of ten members, which include the chairman, four accredited news practitioners, two Cooperative Development Authority representatives and four representatives from employer groups.*

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