MANILA, PHILIPPINES, MAY 18, 2021 — After its successful first run last April with a total of 45 graduates, the Safe Filming Program of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment – Occupational Safety and Health Center (DOLE-OSHC), is now accepting participants for the 2nd Safety and Health Officers Training Seminar (SHOTS).

Being the first of its kind, the SHOTS is an industry-specific safety training that deals solely with the nature and conduct of film and audiovisual production. The SHOTS is a free online 40-hour Basic Occupational Safety and Health (BOSH) Training for the Audiovisual Industry that will be held from May 24 to 28 via Zoom, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

This is in line with DOLE Department Order No. 198 that aims to strengthen compliance with Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Standards to ensure the safety and protection of workers in the audiovisual industry.

The SHOTS will cover topics on the Roles of Safety Officers, Health Hazards, Safety Hazards in the Workplace, Risk Assessment, Workplace Emergency Preparedness, Accident Investigation, Employees Compensation, and COVID-19 and the Workplace.

Upon completing the SHOTS, participants will receive a Safety Officer 2 (SO2) certification from the DOLE-OSHC and will be appointed as Safety Officers by their respective production companies. 

“The success of the first SHOTS and the eagerness of the participants to join and learn are indications that our stakeholders prioritize the safety and health of Filipino film and audiovisual workers. Let us instill and protect this culture of safety to support the welfare of production workers as we further the development of our industry,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

The Safe Filming Program is still accepting applications for the 2nd SHOTS for the Audiovisual Industry. The pre-registration is until May 19 at 6 p.m. Those interested in joining the AV industry-specific training must have a desktop or laptop as a primary device and an alternative device, preferably a desktop or laptop. Participants should use a built-in or external webcam and microphone for the whole duration of the training and must have an internet connection with a download and upload speed of at least 3 Mbps.

The first batch of safety and health officers, who had their share of experiences on the risk and dangers in their workplace, deemed the training seminar a learning experience and strongly recognized the importance of protecting the safety and welfare of film and audiovisual workers. Some of their anonymous feedback is as follows:

1. “The context that it was specific to our industry, and that everyone in the batch spoke the same language, had similar collective experiences, and the relevance to the current challenges we have to face were very valuable.”

2. “I've learned and experienced a lot of things that I've never been exposed to totally. I learned to be precautious; this training leads me to have a healthy-oriented behavior.”

3. “Content was delivered in a very clear, concise, and practical manner. Grounding and context were well-provided by industry insiders and practitioners.”

Interested participants may register at http://bit.ly/SHOTSBatch2. For inquiries and other concerns, you may contact the Safe Filming Program through Ms. Claire Mendoza at (+63) 917 7233 111 or [email protected].