Two separate bills seeking to promote local movies and film tourism have been filed by Senator Mary Grace Poe.
Under the proposed Philippine Independent Film Incentives Act of 2019, up to P5 million in incentives will be granted to production outfits of award-winning movies. P5 million will also be granted to full-length award-winning films, while P3 million will be granted to short feature films.
“This bill seeks to further promote the production of Filipino indie films and provide support to filmmakers, including aspiring ones, who operate on meager budgets to produce their artistic craft,” said Poe in the bill’s explanatory note.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) will be tapped to provide a P50-million fund for the incentives.
Meanwhile, the proposed Philippine Film and Television Tourism Act of 2019 will generate jobs and promote the country at the same time.
“We have sparkling beaches, imposing waterfalls, historical heritage sites, where many of our movies have been shot. We should grab the opportunity to market these so that movie fans will also be travelers to these destinations,” Poe said.
A Philippine Film and Television Tourism Authority (PFTTA) will be established to promote the country as a location site for films and television programs, under the measure. There will also be an Inter-Agency Committee on Film and Television Tourism to be its governing body.
Poe is the daughter of National Artist for Film the late Fernando Poe Jr. and Susan Roces, an award-winning actress. Before becoming a senator, she headed the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
“Our family is indebted so much to the industry, this is the reason why we cannot ignore it,” she said.
“With intervention from the government, we have to work together to help the Philippine film industry get back on track to excellence and profitability,” the senator added.
