Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher “Toff” V.P. de Venecia 
AN ACT INSTITUTING POLICIES FOR THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF 
THE WELFARE OF WORKERS IN LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
A band playing a gig in a crowded bar. A pop star singing in a concert in a packed stadium. 
Actors performing in a theater. What do these events have in common? They are each a form of 
what are collectively known as live events. Live events are exactly as the name describes: an 
experience often involving a live audience. The live events industry was a booming industry, full 
of excitement and potential. Although the performers and the audience are the two faces of the 
industry that people most commonly see, this industry is comprised of a whole ecosystem, 
members of which often work behind the scenes. This includes back up dancers, lights and sounds 
equipment suppliers, technical crew, organizers, producers, and many others, catering to different 
stages of production.  
While COVID-19 has put an abrupt stop to the operations of the industry, workers in the 
industry have unfortunately been seeing their fair share of unjust labor practices even prior to the 
pandemic – problems similar to those that have plagued a related sector – the film and television 
industry. Stakeholders from the industry report that some personnel, such as technical and 
backstage staff are required to work anywhere from 12 to 24 hours straight, or even longer. Set-up 
time in a venue, particularly hotels and multi-purpose arenas are usually scheduled to begin at 
12:01 AM on the day of the event and continue non-stop until the event proper. Naturally, this will 
inevitably extend beyond the event proper itself as the crew will have to pack up once the event is 
over. In some cases, this is due to the limited time in which venues are available, or in other cases, 
due to producers wishing to avoid adding another day’s cost to production. Some production 
suppliers would even require personnel to report to their warehouse or stockyard to assemble 
equipment that will be brought to the venue in time for the ingress, and in some cases, this work 
is not properly compensated and is lumped together as part of the daily rate of the employee or 
worker.  
Technical and backstage staff are not the only ones to suffer these long and strenuous hours. 
Some artists and performers are required to work for more than 12 hours as well. Artists, 
particularly back-up dancers and chorus may be called in the morning for blocking, and will have 
to remain for technical rehearsals in the afternoon, and then perform in the evening show. These 
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shows are usually scheduled at 7 or 8PM and run for two or three hours, which means these 
performers will be working for up to 14 or 15 hours or even longer.  
Despite the continuous work that these personnel and performers go through, there are 
often no adequate areas for rest allotted for them. Most hotels and similar venues do not even allow 
meals to be brought into the venue. Most producers and clients are not willing to pay the hotel’s 
meal rates for backstage staff and personnel, and so meals often have to be taken elsewhere, often 
in parking areas or enclosed vehicles. To make matters worse, meal times are often irregularly 
scheduled for these workers. There are cases when there would be up to 8 or 9 hours between meal 
times for personnel. It is not uncommon for such personnel to have a schedule where breakfast is 
at 6AM, lunch is at 2PM, and dinner may only be taken after the show at 10 or 11PM.  
This bill seeks to address these issues by introducing regulations that will protect the 
welfare of the workers in this industry. Through this bill, the hours of work of workers in the live 
events industry shall be regulated. It is high time we put an end to these practices. Minimum wages 
and basic benefits for workers such as SSS, PagIBIG, and PhilHelath shall likewise be ensured 
through this bill, along with basic necessities that must be provided in the work place. Health and 
occupational safety measures for the live events industry are also strengthened through this bill. 
Finally, to ensure greater representation in the policy making process, the bill also establishes the 
Live Events Industry Tripartite Council, which shall serve as a link among various stakeholders. 
It is high time to put an end to these unjust labor practice that have long plagued the 
industry. It is high time for us to prove that we can produce and enjoy world class quality live 
events without doing so at the expense of the workers who have toiled so much to make all these 
possible.  
Especially now that the world is slowly opening up again, the live events sector needs all 
the support from the State in order to recover properly. 
For these reasons, the approval of this proposed measure is earnestly sought. 
HON. CHRISTOPHER “TOFF” V.P. DE VENECIA 
     Fourth District, Pangasinan 


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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City, Metro Manila 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
House Bill No. ______ 
Introduced by Hon. Christopher V.P. de Venecia 
AN ACT INSTITUTING POLICIES FOR THE PROTECTION AND PROMOTION OF 
THE WELFARE OF WORKERS IN LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled:  
SECTION 1. Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Live Events Workers Welfare Protection 
Act.” 
SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - The State recognizes the economic, social and cultural 
contributions to nation-building of workers in live events industry. Towards this end, the State 
shall institute policies that will ensure these workers decent employment and income, and protect 
them from abuse, harassment, hazardous work conditions, and economic exploitation.  
SECTION 3. Coverage.  This act shall apply to all workers or independent contractors engaged 
in the live events industry. 
SECTION 4.  Definition of Terms -  As used in this act the following terms shall have the 
following meanings: 
a) Live Events Industry refers to any market of a live experience, often involving a live
audience, as amplified by production equipment and services such as but not limited to
staging, scenery, mechanicals, sound, lighting, video, special effects, transport,
packaging, communications, and makeup; including those who organize and
participate in the creative planning and execution of activities such as but not limited
to theatrical productions, weddings and social events, activations, concerts, gigs and
festivals, and other similar forms of experiences, as well as those involved in the
management of venues for such events and the provision of equipment and personnel.
b) Live Event is an occasion involving an audience occurring in real time with technical
services provided to amplify the occasion, including but not limited to events, concerts,
M.I.C.E. (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions), theatrical productions,
sporting events, corporate events, social events, fashion events, weddings, cultural
festivals, club events, trade fairs and exhibits, and on-ground sampling activities.
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c) Worker refers to any person hired or engaged as an employee or independent contractor 
by the client, event organizer, or employer to render services involving the production, 
distribution, or exhibition of a live event.  
d) Independent Production Worker refers to a worker in the live events industry who 
does not have a permanent appointment in any company or organization engaged in 
live events but is hired or whose services are engaged for a specific event over a definite 
time period 
e) Clients refers to companies or individuals who produce live events productions  
f) Event Organizer refers to companies or individuals hired or engaged by clients to 
mount and handle the overall execution of events;  
g) Employer refers to companies or individuals who hire workers or engage their services 
for live events productions  
h) Venue refers to any location rented by the client where a live event will be mounted 
and workers need to be present or to go to by reason of their work. 
i) Creatives refer to persons who conceptualize, plan, direct, execute and implement live 
events, including those whose work are customarily designated as writing, direction, 
choreography, or design;  
j) Technical Provider refers to any outsourced company hired by the client to supply the 
required technical amplification of a live event.   
k) Workplace refers to any location under the direct or indirect control of the client where 
live events are produced and where workers need to be present or to go to by reason of 
their work. 
l) Out-of-town refers to a workplace not within the province where the worker has his 
primary place of residence or business. 
m) Locked-in refers to a condition where a live events production requires the workers to 
stay within a live events location for twenty-four hours or more on a continuous basis. 
n) Egress refers to the action of dismantling and leaving the venue or workplace after an 
event has commenced. 
o) FOH (Front of House) refers to the part of a performance venue where the audience 
is situated. In theaters and live music venues, it consists of the auditorium, foyers, and 
the control booth.  
p) Backstage refers to the areas of a theater, venue, or workplace that are not part of the 
FOH or stage. These areas include dressing rooms, green rooms, offstage areas (i.e. 
wings), cross-overs, fly rails or linesets, dimmer rooms, shops, and storage areas.  


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SEC. 5. Agreement or Employment Contract. – The worker and the employer shall execute an 
agreement or an employment contract in a language or dialect understood by both parties before 
the commencement of service. The employer shall provide the worker a copy of the duly signed 
contract which shall include the following:  
a) Job position and status;  
b) Job description;  
c) Period of employment;  
d) Details of compensation and other worker’s benefits, including rate, method and 
schedule of payment;  
e) Authorized deductions, if any;  
f) Hours of work and proportionate additional payment or overtime pay;  
g) Board, lodging and medical attention;  
h) Code of conduct;  
i) Worker’s grievance mechanism;  
j) Employer’s policies;  
k) Right to additional compensation in case of the employee’s death, injury, or sickness due 
to the failure of the employer to comply with any law, order, rule, or regulation of the 
Workmen’s Compensation Commission, or the Bureau of Labor Standards;  
l) Any other lawful condition agreed upon by both parties.   
No agreement or employment contract shall discriminate against a worker who has contracts or 
projects with other outfits, unless exclusivity is specified in the contract. 
SEC. 6. Hours of Work. – The hours of work of the worker shall be based on the agreement or 
the employment contract signed with the employer the contents of which shall be in accordance 
with the following:  
a) The normal work hours shall be eight (8) hours a day which can be extended to a maximum 
of twelve (12) hours, served intermittently or continuously, exclusive of meal periods, 
permissible working hours in excess of the normal work hours shall be determined by the 
Tripartite Council, except for the following:  
1. Workers aged sixty (60) and above who shall be allowed, under exceptional 
circumstances, to work beyond (12) hours in any 24-hour period; Provided that 
said workers voluntarily execute a waiver in the proper form prescribed by the 
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE); and  


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2. Minors whose working hours shall be in accordance with the pertinent 
provisions of R.A. No. 9231 or the “Special Protection of Children Against 
Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”  
In no case shall the total number of work hours of a worker be more than sixty (60) hours 
in a week, with exceptions thereto to be determined by the Tripartite Council. 
b) Work hours include “waiting time” where the worker is required to stay within the 
premises of the workplace and shall be duly compensated. Likewise, all time during which 
the worker is suffered or permitted to work, including time spent on ocular work, pre-
production and post-production activities are considered work hours and are compensable. 
If a scheduled live event is cancelled less than twenty-four (24) hours immediately 
preceding the scheduled date, all on-call workers engaged for the day who are outside the 
venue of the live event shall likewise be compensated. Workers may not be compensated 
in cases of cancellation due to force majeure;   
c) Hours worked beyond eight (8) hours shall be compensable with overtime pay and other 
benefits provided under existing laws. For work in excess of eight (8) hours performed on 
ordinary working days, the worker is entitled to twenty-five percent (25%) of the hourly 
rate or fee, unless a more favorable rate is stipulated in the contract. Additional premium 
pay shall be provided on overtime pay performed beyond 10:00 pm and during non-
working days, such as rest days, special holidays, and regular holidays. Every worker shall 
likewise be paid a night shift premium of not less than ten percent (10%) of their regular 
wage for each hour of work performed between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am, unless a more 
favorable fee is stipulated in the contract.   
d) Travel time to and from out-of-town projects shall be compensable, especially if the 
worker has no choice but to travel as part of one’s work and as required by the employer.  
Provided, that during the worker’s travel time, the worker cannot gainfully utilize the 
travel time for one’s own personal purpose, needs, or benefit.  
When a worker travels with equipment for a live events productions coming from or going 
to the live events site, travel time is compensable.  
Time spent by a worker who is on call or who is required to wait is likewise compensable. 
 The worker shall be entitled to travel surcharges or transport services provided by the 
employer, as applicable.  
e) The employer shall provide a rest period of not less than twelve (12) hours between the 
end of work on one day and the beginning of work on the next day, excluding travel time, 
except for locked-in live events where the rest period shall be not less than eight (8) hours; 
and  
f) The employer shall give notice to the worker of any engagement related to the contracted 
service not less than forty-eight (48) hours ahead of the schedule.   


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SEC. 7. Wages. – The minimum wage of a worker shall not be less than the applicable minimum 
wage in the region. Wages shall be paid on time, as agreed in the contract, directly to the worker. 
The employer, unless allowed by the worker through a written consent, shall not make any 
deductions from the wages unless otherwise required or allowed by law. The employer shall at all 
times provide the worker with a copy of the pay slip containing the amount paid, and indicating 
all deductions made, if any.  
SEC. 8. Social Security and Welfare Benefits. – A worker shall be covered by the Social Security 
System (SSS), the Home Development Mutual Fund or the Pag-IBIG Fund, and the Philippine 
Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) upon employment, as provided by existing laws.   
The payment of SSS, Pag-IBIG Fund, and PhilHealth monthly contributions, as applicable, 
shall be in accordance with existing rules and regulations.  
Workers shall also be entitled to retirement benefits as provided under Republic Act No. 
11199, otherwise known as the “Social Security Act of 2018”, and other existing laws.  
Coverage with the insurance, retirement and other benefits provided by the SSS, Pag-IBIG 
Fund, and PhilHealth shall not preclude employers from providing social welfare benefits to the 
worker as may be agreed upon in the Tripartite Council. 
SEC. 9. Basic Necessities. – The employer shall provide for the basic necessities of the worker in 
the live events venue as follows:  
a) Adequate and nutritious meals shall be provided every six (6) hours from start of 
work;   
b) Sufficient supply of safe drinking water shall be kept readily accessible to the workers 
at all times;  
c) Clean, enclosed, person-with-disability (PWD)-friendly and gender-considerate 
toilets with sanitary facilities shall be provided within easy access of the live events 
venue, whether the venue be indoor or outdoor. The number of comfort facilities for 
a given number of workers shall be in conformity with the requirements of the 
Department of Health;  
d) Private dressing rooms, with adequate provisions for proper safekeeping of the 
workers’ valuables. There shall be separate dressing rooms for workers, including 
child workers, of each sex;  
e) Safe, clean, comfortable and properly ventilated holding areas with emergency exits 
shall be available for the workers during outdoor and out-of-town activities;  
f) Free accommodation that is safe and adequate shall be provided if the work is in an 
out-of-town location; and 
g) Dedicated vehicle for emergency purposes shall be readily available in the live-events 
production area.  


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SEC. 10. Standard of Treatment. – The employer or client shall not subject or allow the worker 
to be subjected to any kind of discrimination, abuse, physical violence or harassment or any act 
that degrades the dignity of the worker. The employer shall set in place policies, rules and 
regulations to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace in conformity with the provisions of 
R.A. No. 7877 or the "Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995", and R.A. No.11313 or the “Safe 
Spaces Act”. Such policies, rules and regulations shall include procedures for the resolution of any 
conflict involving sexual harassment.  
SEC. 11. Health and Safety. – The employer shall strictly comply with occupational safety and 
health standards provided for in R.A. No. 11058, entitled, “An Act Strengthening Compliance with 
Occupational Safety and Health Standards and Providing Penalties for Violations Thereof,”  and 
Section 25 of R.A. 11036, entitled, “An Act Establishing a National Mental Health Policy for the 
Purpose of Enhancing the Delivery of Integrated Mental Health Services, Promoting and 
Protecting the Rights of Persons Utilizing Psychiatric, Neurologic and Psychosocial Health 
Services, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes.” The worker shall cooperate 
with the employer in carrying out the provisions of the said laws and comply with prescribed safety 
and health procedures to prevent or control work-related accidents and diseases  
In addition, the employer shall conduct a risk assessment of the workplace or location of the live 
events production to identify and eliminate or control any potential hazard to the live events 
workers and shall use a manual of general safe work practices and emergency protocol applicable 
in their workplace.  
The DOLE shall initiate and oversee, in coordination with live events workers organizations and 
groups, employers, agencies, and field experts, the formulation, production and distribution of 
applicable health and safety manual.  
Notwithstanding the provisions of a contract between the employer and a contractor or sub- 
contractor, if any, the provisions of relevant occupational safety and health legislation and 
regulations shall apply.  
The employer shall regularly submit the required occupational safety and health reports, including 
timely notification of production location and schedule, to the DOLE regional office having 
jurisdiction over the area where the workplace is located.  
SEC. 12. Employment of Minors. – The employer shall strictly adhere to the provisions of 
Republic Act No.7610 or the "Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation 
and Discrimination Act", and Republic Act No. 9231 or the “Elimination of the Worst Forms of 
Child Labor and Affording Stronger Protection for the Working Child Act”.  
SEC. 13. Insurance. – All workers shall be adequately insured by the employer for work- related 
accidents or death in every live events production.  
SEC. 14. Right to Self-organization and Collective Bargaining. – Workers in the live-events 
industry shall have the right to form, join or assist in the formation of a labor organization for 
purposes of collective bargaining, for mutual aid benefit, and to engage in concerted activities 
which are not contrary to law.    


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SEC. 15. Prohibition of Cabo System.  Any person, group of persons, or labor group acting as a 
labor contractor or engaging in the “Cabo” system, or otherwise engaging in any activity prohibited 
by law, shall constitute grounds for cancellation of union organization’s registration. 
SEC. 16. Settlement of Disputes. – All labor-related disputes shall be elevated to the DOLE 
regional office having jurisdiction over the workplace.  
SEC. 17. Live Events Industry Tripartite Council - The DOLE shall initiate the creation of the 
Live Events Industry Tripartite Council that will serve as a link among various stakeholders, 
provide the live-events industry with a platform for the employers and workers to represent their 
respective groups in the crafting of policy decisions that will affect them and the industry as a 
whole, and serve as an avenue to express their aspirations, present their programs or bridge gaps 
in cases of conflict among them.  
SEC. 18.  Information and Education Campaign.  The Intellectual Property Office of the 
Philippines (IPOPHIL), DOLE, and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), and other pertinent 
national government agencies shall implement and initiate the information and education 
campaign on the protection of intellectual property rights of workers in the live events industry, as 
enshrined in Republic Act No. 8293, or the “Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines.” 
SEC. 19. Effect on Existing Company Policies and Contracts or Collective Bargaining 
Agreements(CBAs) -  The minimum benefits provided in this Act shall be without prejudice to 
any existing company policy, contract or CBA providing better terms and conditions of 
employment. 
SEC. 20. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety (90) days from the effectivity of 
this Act, the Secretary of Labor and Employment, in consultation with stakeholders, concerned 
government agencies, and non-government organizations shall promulgate the necessary rules and 
regulations for the effective implementation of this Act.  
SEC. 21. Separability Clause. – If any provision or part of this Act is declared invalid or 
unconstitutional, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain in full force and effect. 
SEC. 22. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances, rules and regulations 
or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or modified 
accordingly. 
SEC. 23. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official 
Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.  
Approved,