The House Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts chaired by Pangasinan 4th District Representative Christopher De Venecia resumed consideration of House Resolution 451, assessing the plight of Philippine Cinema, with the intentions of promoting more film productions to generate employment, reviving its renaissance and golden era, and feasibly maximizing efforts to secure the country’s first nomination or a win in the most prestigious Oscar Award for Best International Feature Film, formerly known as Best Foreign Language.
The panel seeks to boost the industry by advancing programs that provide assistance to its workers, as well as reinforcing policies that promote their welfare.
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Competitiveness Bureau Assistant Director Jo-Dann Darong raised that among the challenges of Philippine Cinema the past three years were the constrained movie production process and the hampered performance of the Metro Manila Film Festival due to lockdowns.
“The pandemic gave elbow room for market expansion through digital platforms.”
However, Darong noted that the pandemic gave elbow room for market expansion through digital platforms.
“The FDCP offers assistance to filmmakers and producers, such as cash grants, mentoring sessions with experts, and assistance in securing permits.”
For his part, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman Tirso Cruz III discussed their initiatives that offer assistance to filmmakers and producers, such as cash grants, mentoring sessions with experts, and assistance in securing permits.
The panel also tackled the taxes being paid by producers that affect the sector’s income even amid the pandemic.
De Venecia noted that there is already a plan to refile the proposed “Film and Live Events Recovery Act,” which would provide for an additional two years of tax holiday and reduction of amusement tax from 10 to five percent.
Meanwhile, the committee adopted
1) House Resolution 609, congratulating and commending Ian Fermin Rosales Casocot for winning first prize in the Short Story Category of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature,
2) HR 636, commending Cecile Guidote-Alvarez for being the only Southeast Asian awardee at La MaMa Theater’s ‘Remake-a-World’ Gala in New York City, and
3) HR 653, expressing profound congratulations to Dolly De Leon for winning the Los Angeles Critics Awards Best Supporting Actress for her role as toilet manager in “Triangle of Sadness” and for being the first Filipino to be nominated for Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress for the same role.
