MANILA — The Supreme Court has ruled that nearly a hundred media workers hired by GMA Network under so‑called ‘Talent Agreements’ were in fact regular employees who had been illegally dismissed, bringing an end to an 11‑year legal battle.

In a resolution dated July 16, 2025 and released publicly over the weekend, the Court’s Third Division denied GMA’s petition challenging earlier rulings by the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) and the Court of Appeals. The case involved 94 members of the Talents Association of GMA (TAG) who were engaged by the network between 2003 and 2013.

The Supreme Court found that GMA exercised significant control over the workers’ schedules and duties, a key factor in determining whether an employer‑employee relationship exists.

A central element of independent contracting, the Court explained, is “freedom from control by the principal over the means and method of their work.” However, it noted that GMA’s own Talent Agreement contradicted its claims that the workers enjoyed flexibility and independence.

“The terms put forth by GMA belie its assertion that talents work flexible hours and had the liberty to work online. Instead, GMA is empowered to set the schedules of production and to require the talent’s presence,” the ruling stated.

The Court rejected GMA’s argument that higher talent fees and the existence of a Talent Agreement meant there was no employment relationship, concluding that the company had refused to recognize what was, under the law, regular employment.

“Plain as day, there exists an employer‑employee relationship between GMA and respondents. Respondents are regular employees of GMA,” the decision added.

Relief Granted

Under the ruling, GMA was ordered to pay separation pay and back wages to 50 workers who were found to have been illegally dismissed.

“In the event that reinstatement is no longer an option, respondents in G.R. No. 254711 shall be awarded separation pay equivalent to one month’s salary for every year of service. Full back wages shall then be computed from the date of their dismissal until the finality of this Resolution,” the Court stressed.

A Decade‑Long Case

Members of TAG had been working for GMA for as long as 15 years without being classified as regular employees when they filed a complaint before the NLRC in 2014. As contractual workers, they did not receive Social Security System (SSS), Pag‑IBIG, or PhilHealth benefits and had no security of tenure.

The NLRC ruled in their favor in 2015, a decision later upheld by the Court of Appeals in 2019. GMA’s appeal to the Supreme Court was its final attempt to overturn those rulings.

In a statement, TAG said the lengthy legal battle had taken a heavy toll on its members:

“This is 11 years in the making, during which our members have emotionally and mentally suffered from having to take to court what we considered our home network. It was not an easy decision to file the very first case in 2014, and it has not been easy since. We saw our friends leave one by one, their sudden departures heavily impacting livelihoods and careers, when all we ever wanted was to tell stories for the Filipino people.”

Mike Manalaysay, founder and editor‑in‑chief of Arkipelago News and one of TAG’s leaders, described the decision as a landmark victory: “We fought knowing the cost would be great. For 11 long years, we endured, resisted, and persevered. Today, we stand victorious. This is our gift to the next generation of journalists.”

Although GMA may still file a motion for reconsideration, TAG said it considers the case effectively settled.

“Talents are regular employees, deserving of security and statutory benefits. We believed that since the beginning, and now there is jurisprudence to protect the next generation of media workers in the Philippines,” TAG said.

Labor groups and supporters say the Supreme Court ruling could have broader implications for employment practices in the media industry, where the use of “talent” contracts and the “Internal Job Market” has long been widespread.