Jinggoy Estrada considers proposing ban on Korean dramas in Philippines

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said he is considering proposing a ban on Korean telenovelas in the country, stressing that Filipino-made shows should be promoted instead.

“Ang aking obserbasyon pagpatuloy tayo nagpapalabas ng Korean telenovela, ang hinahangaan ng ating mga kababayan ay itong mga Koreano at nawawalan ng trabaho at kita yung ating mga artistang Pilipino,” Estrada said at Tuesday's hearing on the proposed 2023 budget of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

(My observation is we continue to show Korean telenovelas, our compatriots idolize Koreans, and our Filipino artists are losing jobs.)

“Kaya minsan pumapasok sa aking isipan na i-ban na itong mga telenovela ng mga foreigners at dapat ang mga artista nating Pilipino talagang may angking galing sa pag-arte ay 'yun naman dapat ang ipalabas natin sa sariling bansa natin,” he said.

(So sometimes it enters my head to ban these foreign telenovelas, and that talented Filipino artists are who we should be showing in our own country instead.) 

“Kung ang pino-promote natin ay mga produkto ng Koreano, kaya nagkakaroon tayo ng halos maraming produktong Korean dito sa atin imbis na i-promote natin yung sarili natin ang napro-promote natin yung mga banyaga,” he added.

(If what we are promoting are Korean products, that is why there are so many Korean products here. Instead of promoting our own we are promoting foreigners.) 

'Foreign serye tariffication'

At the same hearing, Senator Robin Padilla also pushed to raise the tax on foreign series to help shore up the local film industry. 

“Maari po bang taasan natin itong tax ng mga foreign series na pumapasok sa atin para kahit papaano po yung subsidiya nito bigay natin sa mga workers sa industriya natin, sa local, kung papaano po ginawa natin diyan sa rice tariffication, gawin nating foreign teleserye tariffication dahil marami pong nawawalan ng trabaho dito,” Padilla said.

(Could we raise the tax on these foreign series that are brought in, so that in some way the subsidies can go to workers in the local industry? In the same way with rice tariffication, we can do foreign teleseries tariffication because so many people are losing jobs here.)

Padilla was referring to the measure that allows the unlimited importation of rice as long as private sector traders pay a 35-percent tariff for shipments from neighbors in Southeast Asia.

“Ang hirap naman pong i-ban natin sila pero dapat po siguro maging patas lang po tayo kawawa po ang ating industriya,” he added.

(It would be hard to ban them but maybe we can level the playing field because our local industry is at a disadvantage.)

FDCP Chairman Tirso Cruz III agreed that there should be balance to promote and protect local films.

He said that one of the agency’s programs is focusing on creation and promotion of local films.

“Ang isa pong pangunahing programa namin ay talagang mag-focus sa paggawa ng mga local films muna dahil sabi namin ang unang-una importante ay ang maniwala ang kapwa Pilipino sa pelikulang Pilipino,” the FDCP chairman said.

(One of our major programs focuses on the production of local films, because what is of foremost importance is that Filipinos must believe in Filipino film.)

“Kaya ang ginagawa naming focus ay sa local films dahil kung kami man po ay pupunta sa film festival ay gusto naming dala yung sariling atin na ilalaban natin sa competition na ipakikita natin sa mga festival na ang mga Pilipino ay mas matindi gumawa ng pelikula at madamdamin at mas maganda,” he added.

(So we focus on local films, because when we go to film festivals we want to bring our own films into the competition and show them that Filipinos can make evocative and beautiful films.) 

Additional budget for FDCP’s building

Cruz also asked for additional budget for the establishment of the agency’s own building in a bid to protect and secure the films in its keeping.

He said the FDCP currently pays about P6 million a year in rent for the building where it houses 44,221 elements, including some from the golden era of films and classic films that have been entrusted to the agency for safekeeping and restoration.

“Huwag naman sana, kung magkaroon ng sunog diyan, sayang naman 'yung mga old films, mga classic films ng ating mga artista,” said Estrada, an actor himself whose father, former president Joseph Estrada, is one of the biggest icons in Philippine cinema. 

(Let's hope it won't happen, but in the event of a fire it would be a waste of many old films, classic films of our artists.)

The FDCP chairman said they were also worried that the films might be affected as they experienced flooding in the building a few times.

“Actually, it is one of our dreams to really have our own building to protect our natural heritage in the form of film yung assets natin [our film assets]. Because when this is lost, ang laking bagay na mawawala [so much will be lost], Senator. And unfortunately, sometimes we are already suffering flooding and we're really worried about the vaults right now,” Cruz said.

“I would like to request the opportunity to be able to request budget for the building. Actually, if the good chair has time I have the presentation here of how the building would look like and how much it would cause. I do believe that it is really not that expensive because we are very prudent in spending especially knowing that we are using the tax payers money,” he added.

Senator Mark Villar, who presided over the hearing, then asked for the copies of the report for the requested building.

Based on the presentation, the FDCP proposed a budget of P245.358 million for 2023, an 0.98% decrease from its P247.809 million budget in 2022.

Villar said the proposed budget will be submitted to the plenary. — BM, GMA News