Study bares plight of majority of Filipino music industry workers

MANILA, Philippines — More than half of Filipinos employed in the music industry earn less than P20,000 monthly, according to a study conducted by the Department of Science and Technology – -National Research Council of the Philippines (DOST – NRCP).

“Local artists would always have to go through what we normally identify as sariling sikap, that is, without any government intervention and support in its music training, marketing and promotion,” Maria Chua, head of a project funded by the DOST-NRCP said on Wednesday.

Chua headed the Musika Pilipinas Project which studied the state of music in the country, including artists, and the industry.

According to the study which was composed of 700 respondents, 61.1 percent of those in the music industry are college degree holders, while most of the respondents said that they have to work in a non-music industry for their living expenses.

Chua added that more frameworks must be in place to support the local music artists and industry.

“The lack of effective protection of the intellectual property rights of local artists is another crucial issue in this sector that needs to be addressed,” she said.