REELECTIONIST senator Bong Revilla, Jr. is aware of the state that local films have not been faring well at the box office. Except for some, most theatrical films do not make money and producers fail to recoup their expenses.

The government, sadly, has not listed particularly solid support for the film industry. A film commission is apparently needed to subsidize making good films to help the industry.

“Actually, gumagawa naman ng measures ang government natin to help the film industry,” Senator Bong informed. “Nakapag-pasa tayo ng Eddie Garcia law. There were producers who reacted and said, they got affected after the law was passed.

“Dapat talaga, we should be more aware of the working hours of the people in the TV and film industry. I think we have to revisit the law and have a dialogue with the producers and actors.

“The senior stars are hardly getting more projects lately. Even the child stars, nawawala na rin. Does that mean we will never have another Niño Muhlach in the industry?

“Niño started as a child actor and really became very popular. We do not normally see children on TV or the movies now. The child stars are allowed to shoot for four hours and then they pack up.

“How can we develop another child star like Niño Muhlach again? We have to revisit the law and study it again carefully. We need the support of the government or the film commission in the Eddie Garcia law.

“We need funding from the government for our film and TV industry. Ang dami na namin sa senate to assist our film and TV industry. That’s one of our purposes. To help the industry para maibangon natin dahil dying industry na ‘yan. Lahat nasa Netflix na.

“But if we can resurrect the industry, well and good. I remember there was a time, nawala ang action nauso ang bold, but thankfully, bumalik ulit ang action. Nabuhay ang industriya.”

Senator Bong insisted the experience watching a film on the big screen is really different than watching it inside your homes.

“Iba ang experience inside the movie houses,” he maintained. “Gagawa kami ng batas para ibaba ang bayad sa sinehan. To watch a movie these days, mahina ang P1,000 especially if your whole family will go. Not all families can afford. Only the rich ones.”

Senator Bong is also amenable to designating a venue for rated-R films, like the Experimental Cinema of the Philippine (ECP) before.

The MTRCB Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) can also extend its focus on the films in streaming platforms, not just on TV and the movies.

“I cannot answer directly,” Senator Bong said. “We will see if the MTRCB is the right agency to handle that. That can be studied.”

In 2019, when Senator Bong launched his senatorial campaign anew, he did the popular “budots” dance that became viral and was copied by other candidates until now.

He got this remark, “Nag budots lang si Bong Revilla, nanalo na.” Yet, Bong did not take that sitting down. “Nagtrabaho ako,” Senator Bong insisted. “Nag-perform ako. Ipinakita ko sa tao na hindi budots ‘yun. Hindi naman ako magaling mag-buduts.

“Ang nag-boost lang sa akin ‘yan si Jolo. He urged, ‘Papa, sayaw ka.’ When we previously came out with my other TV ads before, wala kaming masyadong reactions. When they made me dance the budots, nag-viral siya. All over the world, with billion views.

“I’m now No. 11 sa balota. Dati, No. 16 ako. Pero hindi ako huminto to go around since I got re-elected in 2019, every time nagkaroon ng problema in a certain place anywhere in the country, nandoon na ako. You can check that in my Facebook page.

Senator Bong has helped thousands to date nationwide. “Yung ginagawa natin nasa polishing na lang,” he said. “Sa rally ng Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, until May 9, we will maximize what we can until the last day of campaign.

“Ang daming senatorial candidates ngayon. Ang daming kandidato. Puro superstars ang mga kasama ko ngayon. You don’t have to be complacent.”

Senator Bong cannot be happier now that his campaign has been received warmly by the people anew. He has been called “Pogi” from his “Alyas Pogi” tag, one of his characters and title roles in his films (1990), that later became a TV series.

The public also calls him “Tolome,” his popular character in the film-turned-action series, “Walang Matigas na Pulis sa Matinik na Misis” (1994) or “Agimat.”

“Pero ‘pag sumigaw na ako ng ‘Anak ng Teteng’ (from ‘Alyas Pogi’), everybody knows that. Sumisigaw na sila agad.”

He did not campaign all the way to Baguio last February after he went to Pampanga. Politicians were told not to show up in the Panagbenga Festival to avoid getting bashed.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Leah C. Salterio