BY REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD I. GOMEZ
The entertainment industry is a monumental part of my past and will forever continue to be an integral part of me, even now that I am a public servant. Entertainment has not only shaped me as a person; it has shaped us, as a Filipino people through the decades.
Since 1919, when the father of Filipino cinema, Jose Nepomuceno, released the silent movie Dalagang Bukid, Pinoy movies have been one of the constant features and unifying factors in our Filipino culture. That is why it is very important for us to look into the future and to make sure that we protect and nurture this indispensable part of our heritage.
I am both an actor and a lover of Filipino movies. A couple of years back, it came to my attention that we had already lost many of the original films from our oldest Filipino productions. Our movie industry has been very prolific, producing thousands of titles using the traditional film technology until 2012, when the industry went fully digital. During pre-digital filmmaking, the actual films used were very susceptible to decay simply because of the materials being used. Also at that time, very few had the foresight of actually storing film reels after the movies were shown in theaters. To make matters worse, our humid climate hastened the decay of old film reels.
Entertainment is at the heart of all Filipinos… This is part of who we are as a people. We must honor our talents, develop them and support our Filipino entertainers. We do this by preserving our entertainment heritage so far and paving the way for its advancement into the digital future.
The good news is that the fight against time to preserve our Pinoy films heritage has already begun. The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) is at the forefront, having launched the Philippine Film Archive (PFA) in 2011. Thankfully, other organizations and institutions have also taken the lead in archiving our movie heritage such as, the Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA), ABS-CBN and the UP Film Institute. But we need to do more. Our challenge is not only to preserve but to restore the film quality to how it was originally shown decades ago. And we know that this is an expensive and capital-intensive endeavor.
That is why in 2022, one of the very first house bills I filed was House Bill No. 936, ‘An Act Creating the National Film Archive to be Managed by the Film Development Council, and Appropriating funds Thereof.’ The bill aims to strengthen the FDCP’s mandate to protect our film heritage from Republic Act No. 9167.
This bill aims to establish systems for recovery, preservation and restoration of our old Pinoy movies. This will also include authentication of reproduced copies. Additionally, this bill proposes to formalize the management and leadership of the film archives, providing for adequate manpower, technical expertise and equipment for the FDCP to perform its tasks well. One of the most salient features of this bill is the acquisition of an appropriate building to house the National Film Archive. This building shall provide the proper archival conditions, in terms of temperature, humidity, lighting and protection from weather and disasters. And since such a building will definitely be energy intensive, I am suggesting to locate it in Ormoc City, where the world’s second largest geothermal power plant is located. That way, we achieve our objectives using clean and renewable energy. Of course, the most important part in any government support is the provision of adequate funding. I hope that when this bill is deliberated on in Congress, we can all rally behind it to make sure the industry gets the support it deserves.
This is just one of the challenges of the entertainment industry, going into the digital future. In 2021, RA 11904, the ‘Creative Industries Development Act’ was enacted; proudly one of the principal authors was then-Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez. Although this law spans many areas of the creative sphere–this notably covers the performing arts. Just to give an overview, this law formalizes government administration for the creative industries, which means creating a strategic plan, establishing management, regulation, supervision, and the provision of key facilities and necessary funding. For us to bring the entertainment industry to the next level, we need to formalize our support and systems.
Entertainment is at the heart of all Filipinos. Before it became an industry, entertainment meant Filipinos making Filipinos happy. We experience it even today, at family gatherings–singing, dancing and performing various talents; we do it all for free to make our loved ones happy. This is part of who we are as a people. We must honor our talents, develop them and support our Filipino entertainers. We do this by preserving our entertainment heritage so far and paving the way for its advancement into the digital future.
