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SEVERAL bills have been introduced, seeking to stimulate the local
film industry, which directly employs a quarter of a million
Filipinos and generates around P1.5 billion in revenues every year.
Many of these bills seek to relax the taxes on producers, theater
operators and patrons that have impaired the local film industry’s
competitiveness versus foreign motion pictures.
One of the bills, for instance, proposes to
exempt from the 30-percent amusement tax all locally produced movies
classified by regulators as for “general patronage” or
“parental guidance 13.” At present, theater operators levy in
turn gets passed on to moviegoers.
Another bill seeks to exempt local producers
from the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on imported filmmaking raw
materials and equipment. Besides the amusement tax and VAT on
imported inputs, the film industry is also levied the 35-percent
corporate income tax on producers, the VAT on producer’s film
share and the 5-percent withholding tax on producer’s film share.
“Congress is prepared to find ways to
help the ailing Philippine film industry by easing the multiple
taxes on local producers, theater operators and patrons,” reveals
Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas, an educator and author of House Bill 305,
which seeks to strengthen the English skills of Filipinos by
reinstating the language as the medium of instruction in all school
levels. The bill has already been endorsed by 207 of the 240 members
of the House of the Representatives. In exchange, Gullas adds that
local movie and TV producers should also promote the use of English
subtitles in their programs in order to help reinforce the language
skills of Filipinos.
Gullas said the use of English subtitles in
every locally produced movie would help Filipinos who are trying to
learn English, or trying to improve their skills in the language.
“Besides, English already forms part of our culture and identity.
And local films are supposed to help promote national culture and
identity,” Gullas rationalizes.
To be able to include English subtitles,
producers and filmmakers have to spend quite a hefty sum, some even
going to Australia, Thailand and Hong Kong just to be assured that
the subtitling procedure follows strict international standards.
According to filmmaker Paolo Villaluna, there
are two kinds of procedures: laser printing and internegative
subtitling, which use a separate print involving translucent film
negatives. The young director, who had to find resources to include
English subtitling in his latest film Selda so the film can get
considered for international film festival participation, adds,
“We perfectly understand and appreciate that members of the House
of Representatives have always been very supportive of the local
film industry. We just hope that they are sincere in their offer of
assistance.”
-- Sylvia Santamaria
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