Sen. Bam Aquino files bill; aims to protect freelancer’s rights
According to reports, there is increasing number of freelancers in the country joining various industries that gave Senator Bam Aquino an opportunity to file a Senate Bill No. 351 that aimed at protecting freelancer’s rights, in whatever field they are in.
“With more and more freelancers in the country, we are confronted with an urgent need to protect this new sector and empower them with ease of doing business,” the Senator said.
If the bill approved, it will allow freelancers to avail of a hassle-free registration service at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. They will also be exempted from taxes for three years following their registration.
Other than that, freelancers who are not given right and correct payment for their services can opt to file a complaint with the Department of Labor and Employment.
According to Sen. Bam, the bill gives freelancers the power to demand from their employer what they are rightfully due under their agreement.
Sen. Aquino also added that further civil penalties will also be imposed for every day that the employer refuses to compensate the freelancer. The aggrieved party has the option of filing a civil case against his or her employer.
If passed, employers that are found to have violated any of the bill’s provisions can be charged up to P250, 000.
“Let us waste no time in ensuring that they are not inconvenienced by red tape and that they are protected from difficult, even fraudulent clients,” Sen. Aquino ended.
The bill was referred to the Committees on Labor and Ways and Means.
Freelancers in the country are happy about the good news. For the mean time, all they can do is to wait for this bill to pass. One netizen said that it would be very helpful for freelancers who aren’t receiving right payment from their employers.
