MANILA – Malacañang on Wednesday questioned the guidelines released by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in regulating film and other audiovisual (AV) production shoots amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) health crisis.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark after the Directors’ Guild of the Philippines, Inc. (DGPI) raised concerns over some of the provisions in an administrative order issued jointly by the FDCP, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), particularly on the mandatory report on production shoots seven days before the shoot.
The DGPI also found the order’s coverage of platforms other than film, including television, advertising, animation, and other productions for online distribution, as “disturbing”.
Roque explained that statute and executive orders that created the FDCP do not give it regulatory powers, which means it should be the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Education (DepEd) in charge of sponsoring its guidelines. The FDCP is an attached agency of the DepEd.
Under Republic Act 9167, which created the FDCP, the trade and education secretaries, or their duly designated representatives, among others, are ex-officio members of the Council.
He said he started to raise questions about the guidelines after the FDCP requested the DOH to approve the filming of a TV series in Caramoan town in Camarines Sur.
“I had questions about the alleged guidelines, which they have issued to govern the resumption of work in the film industry, noting that the statute and executive orders that created the council did not give it regulatory powers,” Roque said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
He explained that the DTI and DepEd have overall supervision over the FDCP and should sponsor the guidelines on film and other AV production shoots.
“Therefore it should probably be the DTI or the Department of Education, believe it or not, because the statutory basis points to overall supervision by the Department of Education that should sponsor any guidelines that would govern the film industry under quarantine,” Roque said.
In a statement released last June 28, the DGPI protested and denounced the FDCP's "overreach into regulatory and oversight functions over productions."
The DGPI also urged DOLE, DOH, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, and all other regulatory arms of government to consult industry stakeholders directly on deliberations on regulatory matters instead of through the FDCP, “which does not necessarily represent film workers or producers regarding their positions on regulatory matters.”
"As the film industry struggles to get back on its feet, the DGPI reiterates that it opposes any form of additional agency intrusion on productions. Not during a pandemic. Not ever. The slippery slope from 'reporting' to 'monitoring' to 'controlling' is steep and dangerous to (the) freedom of expression," the DGPI said.
Earlier, the FDCP issued the clarificatory guidelines on its joint administrative order, which require production companies to submit specific details of the planned production shoot, including the people participating at the production site.
FDCP chair Liza Diño defended the order, saying it intends to comply with the health and safety protocols needed to be adopted by the industry.
Consultations with stakeholders
In a Laging Handa public briefing, Diño insisted that consultations were made among agencies and industry stakeholders to “introduce” the initiative of the FDCP to implement health and safety protocols.
“Marami pong mga ahensiya ang sumama dito sa aming town hall para lang po makilala nila ang aming industriya. Pagkatapos nun ay nagkaroon ng sunud-sunod na focused group discussions at konsultasyon sa iba’t ibang organisasyon, iba’t ibang workers na nasa film industry sector, and even yung mga allied sectors ng audiovisual industry (There were many agencies that joined the town hall meeting so that they would get to know our industry. After that, we also had consecutive focused group discussions and consultations with different organizations, workers in the film industry sector, and even allied sectors of the audiovisual industry),” she said.
She admitted that the FDCP has no jurisdiction over advertising shoots, however, explained that it was also necessary to “share” their guidelines with other types of production shoots.
“Yung mga advertising, yung live events, hindi po naming ‘yan saklaw pero (Advertising and live events are not part of our scope but) in terms of the nature of the work and the conduct of productions -- may (there’s a) crew, recorded equipment, ganito -- we have to also share etong mga ginagawa ngayon na guidelines para makita nila (the guidelines so that they can see) if this is also something that will also align with how they do their business,” she said.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, in the same briefing emphasized the need to hold consultations with other sectors to promote health and to ensure that all people are safe amid the prevailing pandemic.
“Sa pagkakaalam ko, nagkaroon sila ng konsultasyon (As far as I know, there was a consultation) with the industry itself doon po sa mga guild o mga miyembro po ng (among members of the guild or members of the) director’s guild. And ang DOH naman sa aming parte, kapag gumagawa po kami ng mga polisya, (the DOH, on our part, when we make policies) we make it a point that we consult the stakeholders that are involved,” Vergeire said.
Amid criticism over the joint administrative order requirement to submit some details on production shoots seven days before the shoot, she said it is necessary to ensure easier contact tracing.
“Malalaman po natin kung saan po yung kanilang mga locations, sinu-sino po yung kasama sa production na ‘to, para in the eventna meron pong mangyaring, sana ‘wag naman po na suspect case ng Covid, madali po tayo makapag contact trace at matutulungan po natin ang DOH, ang [local government unit) at iba’t ibang ahensiya para ma-contain po natin ang mga nangyayaring ganitong sakuna (We will know their locations, who is part of the production, so in the event that there is a suspect Covid case, it would be easier to contact trace and we would be able to help the DOH, LGU, and other agencies contain this crisis),” she said.
Diño, meanwhile, appealed to industry stakeholders to support the FDCP’s initiative to help minimize the risk of catching or spreading the Covid-19. (PNA)
(PNA)
