AS we sympathize with those left behind by the entertainment master German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, we cannot help wondering how life is with the rest of the Philippine motion picture and television world.
We are not referring to the stars and superstars: they are making the biggest money in Philippine society. Rather, we are referring to the rest of them, from the supporting actors and actresses to those handling the lights, cables and microphones, the rank and file, who, we understand, are surviving on slightly more than the minimum wage.
We begin by endorsing the idea that the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) executive committee makes an accounting of the financial results of the activity. They owe it to the Metro Manila governments who supported the festival and the people who patronized it. Observers say that the festival grossed more than a billion pesos. The MMFF can begin telling us what exactly they intend to do with the money they have earned.
There is currently an existing a Movie Workers Welfare Foundation Inc. (Mowelfund) Welfare Fund, a private-sector initiative of some of the leading personalities and companies of the business. From what is known about it, the Mowelfund extends assistance to those of the industry who are in dire need, as in terminal illnesses. But the support is inadequate, barely able to meet minimum obligations.
To the MMFF, what about starting a new program with expanded objectives, like providing in-between-jobs assistance, or short-term unemployment benefits, or training sustenance to low-level people of the industry? The idea is not to substitute for employment, but to fill a gap in employment or improve productivity through upgrading of existing skills or acquisition of new ones.
Another activity will be the modernization of the industry, from the establishment of a new culture to the purchase of high-tech equipment. Establishing a new culture will involve such things as paying well for intelligent stories and scripts instead of relying on improvisations; improving the acting through specialized training; and getting rid of slapstick and facial contortions that substitute for jokes. In a word, it will involve raising the level of literacy of our motion pictures.
The purchase of new equipment to replace the current paraphernalia of vintage biblical times is an absolute necessity. The lights and sounds equipment being used are so obsolete they hurt the eyes and ears of viewers. Now that a comparison of Philippine movies with movies of various foreign countries shown on Philippine television has become possible, we can see the embarrassing and shameful technical inferiority of Philippine movies. Are we wondering why even Korean movies and telenovelas have become popular with Philippine audiences?
Let’s convert this mourning for an adored and respected entertainment master into a commitment to improved levels of welfare for the rank and file in the industry, to superior dramatic performance, and to the technological advancement of the industry. Let’s make this an opportunity to transform the entertainment industry into one we can be proud of.
Image credits: Jimbo Albano