SENATOR Jinggoy Estrada said on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, that his statement on banning Korean telenovelas in the country stemmed from “frustration” that Filipinos nowadays patronize more foreign shows.
“Kaugnay sa aking pahayag kahapon sa mga foreign-made shows, my statement stems from the frustration that while we are only too eager and willing to celebrate South Korea’s entertainment industry, we have sadly allowed our own to deteriorate because of the lack of support from the moviegoing public,” he said in a statement.
“I wish that the zealousness of our kababayans in patronizing foreign artists can be replicated to support our homegrown talents who I strongly believe are likewise world-class,” he added.
Estrada clarified that he has nothing against South Korea's successes in the entertainment field, noting that the country may learn a lot from them but he pointed out that Filipino artists should not be ignored.
“South Korea’s phenomenal success is rooted in their love of country. It is high time that we follow their example and do the same for our own entertainment industry that is at best, barely surviving,” he said.
During the budget hearing for the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) on Tuesday, October 18, Estrada, who was an actor himself, said proposing to ban Korean telenovelas in the country sometimes crosses his mind, as it is being admired more by the Filipinos, resulting in local artists losing their job.
He said that it not only affects the entertainment industry but also other sectors, such as the make-up businesses, as Korean telenovela fanatics tend to buy more Korean products than those locally produced due to the influence of what they are watching.
For his part, Senator Robin Padilla, a well-known action star, said the government should impose higher tariffs for foreign shows.
He said the funds, which will be generated from these tariffs, can be used to provide assistance to Filipinos working in the film industry.
Padilla also supported providing additional funds to the FDCP for the restoration of old Philippine films, as well as the FDCP's bid to have its own building with its own vault to preserve old Filipino films.
FDCP chairman and actor Tirso Cruz III said they are currently focusing on the creation and promotion of local films.
“It’s just that we can’t help ourselves because this is a worldwide business. We can’t stop streaming (foreign films) because it's already accepted by the world already... Maybe, to counter it, as far as we are concerned, Filipino first for the Filipino. Our focus now really is to help Filipino producers and promote our local films,” he said.
“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 are focusing now on local films because if we are going to film festivals, we want to bring our own and show to the world that Filipinos are more intense in making films, and passionate and more beautiful.) (SunStar Philippines)