Having Akimoto’s blessing and proper backers to be called official idols, the girls of MNL48 are a potent cause of envy for many aspiring young girls with big dreams and equally dreamy eyes. But absent the frilly skirts and away from the spotlight, are they really?

Poor working conditions

MNL48 girls sleep way late, wake up early, and practically are not able to go to school due to hectic work schedules. They attend ALS classes which are half-day affairs that are held only once a week. This translates to the girls receiving merely 4 hours worth of instruction every week, give or take.

Some of them are well-below 18 years old, with some as young as 15.

Under Section 12-A of Republic Act (RA) No. 7610, as amended by RA 9231, “a child fifteen (15) years of age but below eighteen (18) shall not be allowed to work for more than eight (8) hours a day, and in no case beyond forty (40) hours a week […] [and] no child fifteen (15) years of age but below eighteen (18) shall be allowed to work between ten o’clock in the evening and six o’clock in the morning of the following day.”

Section 13 of the same Act, as amended, provides, “No child shall be deprived of formal or non-formal education. In all cases of employment allowed in this Act, the employer shall provide a working child with access to at least primary and secondary education.”

The girls also get constantly demotivated by the road managers. It doesn’t help that they have to suffer having to routinely travel to and from work cramped in an L300 with a broken airconditioner. They are not allowed to open windows, nor to ride in their parents’ cars, and are provided with just a single electric fan to cool everyone off.

Still no contract

The duties performed by MNL48 members include but are not limited to: (1) MNL48 theater performances, (2) training, (3) participation in producing MNL48 content, (4) promotion of MNL48 content, (5) participation in producing MNL48 merchandise, (6) promotion of MNL48 merchandise, (7) guest appearances, (8) maintenance of their individual official MNL48 social media accounts.

For all these, the girls do not even enjoy the security of a proper working contract. This has allowed the management to wield unreasonable leverage over them. Undefined rights and responsibilities leave them without the ability to contest rules and memos which are continuously handed down by management for absolute compliance.

The only compensation they get is a monthly allowance that is set at a uniform rate of Php 15,000. Senbatsu members, which have to deal with higher expectations and heavier workloads as the promotional lineup, get the same compensation as the Kenkyuusei, which are not recognized as official members.

It is worth noting that there were earlier reports about preferential treatment for the Kenkyuusei, some of which are suspected to be in-house talents of certain influential personalities in the higher echelons.

Generally, allowances are benefits, whether monetary or non-monetary, that are provided over and above salary compensation. But like the contract itself, details about the most basic compensation for the work done by the girls are yet to be heard of.

The allowance amount itself was dictated by the management. There were no negotiations. The girls, together with their parents, hold no bargaining power and risk their journeys getting cut short should they make demands.

Just recently, some of the girls got heavily reprimanded by the management over their attendance in an unsanctioned idol event.

Notwithstanding the absence of a working contract, these conditions taken together would be indicative of an employer-employee relationship. Yet the girls do not enjoy regular benefits like Philhealth, PAGIBIG, and SSS to name a few.

There is also still no word about the promised Japan training for the Kami 7.

Behind the smiles

All these has left the girls horribly stressed and downright demoralized, with at least one more Senbatsu member contemplating withdrawal.

Since the first General Elections last April, MNL48 has already lost five members, two of which were part of the original Kami 7. Four of these left amidst reports of unfair treatment by the management while citing personal reasons.

One former Kenkyuusei even allegedly lamented how it was a big mistake getting promoted as an official member, seeing the little compensation they get for all the effort they exert.