(POLITIKO) Senator Jinggoy Estrada is pushing for the creation of the National Film Archive of the Philippines (NFAP) to ensure the preservation of thousands of old Filipino movies.
Estrada’s proposal, as contained in Senate Bill 1033, will be discussed on Monday (June 9) by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media.
“Two decades have passed since the enactment of Republic Act No. 9167, the law that directs the FDCP (Film Development Council of the Philippines) to establish a film archive, but the permanent facility for film preservation with sufficient storage space and proper equipment has yet to materialize,” said Estrada, himself a former actor and the son of former President and action star Joseph Estrada.
The senator said there is a need to preserve the country’s surviving film copies. He noted that the FDCP only has only managed to preserve 2,000 copies of Filipino movies shot on film out of an estimated 8,000 titles.
“Whatever remains unarchived is exposed to daily damage and deterioration. It is also estimated that out of more than 8,000 movies shot on film, only around 2,000 have surviving copies,” he said.
“In addition, notable works by our renowned filmmakers, including our national artists for film, have also been neglected and improperly cared for,” Estrada added.