145 IBC-13 employees get retirement pay after 22 years — Palace

MANILA, Philippines: A total of 145 employees of the Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC-13) finally received their retirement pay, over two decades after they left the state-run media corporation, Malacañang said Saturday.

Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said it was only in the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the much-awaited retirement pay was released to the IBC workers.

145 IBC-13 employees get retirement pay after 22 years — Palace

“At least 25 of the retirees have passed away before they could enjoy the fruits of their lives’ work. It took 22 years and 28 management teams before the payment was given under the Marcos administration,” Garafil said.

IBC-13, along with government-owned media companies — Peoples Television Network and the Presidential Broadcast Service-Bureau of Broadcast Services — form the media arm of the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) led by Garafil.

In her speech during the awarding ceremony on Friday, Garafil said settling the claims of the IBC retirees was one of the marching orders of President Marcos.

“The President gave the instruction to help resolve their claims as addressing the welfare of media workers is one of the cornerstones of his administration and of the PCO,” Garafil said.

“So it is a great honor for me to be able to be part of this much-awaited and much-deserved awarding of benefits to our colleagues in the media,” she added.

For his part, IBC-13 President and Chief Executive Officer Jimmie Policarpio said the development benefitted around 200 families.