COUNTRY UPDATE

PHILIPPINES

 

Sineginto 2000

Golden Films of Philippine Cinema

 

 

Sineginto was launched on PTV-4 on a pilot basis last November 1999. Four films were included and shown on prime time: Tunay na Ina, a 1939 restored film starring Rosario Moreno and child star Tita Duran; Geron Busabos, a 1964 film starring President Joseph Estrada which garnered him the Famas award for best actor; Noli Me Tangere, a 1961 Gerry de Leon film and restored in Germany by the Goethe Institute, starring Eddie del Mar and Edita Vidal; and Maalaala Mo Kaya, a 1954 film by Mar S. Torres starring Rogelio dela Rosa, Carmen Rosales, Dolphy, and Patria Plata.

 

 

in the world" (1983 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records). It is ironic that, despite these, the film industry has only produced a handful of works of high maturity and relevance. This is evidenced by the kind of sex and violence movies being shown to the public which has been the subject of protests from various sectors of society.

        Why this is so is something that could only be appreciated if one considers the a) commercial beginnings

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        THREE YEARS AGO, the Society of Film Archivists (SOFIA) approached Linda Gamboa, Executive Director of the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines, to help package the launching of Tunay na Ina during the celebration of SOFIA’s founding anniversary.

        Tunay na Ina, a 1939 film which was just restored, was intended to showcase SOFIA's work in film preservation to be used as a springboard for raising funds for its restoration program. It was agreed that there should be a high profile, educational program that could promote wide appreciation for value-oriented and outstanding films that form part of our cultural heritage and generate funds for SOFIA's Film Search and Restoration effort as well as the Foundation's flagship project -- particularly the Philippine advertising library.

        Television was used as the medium for what would later become known as "Sinegintd" -- or the Golden Films of Philippine Cinema -- a year- long telecast special featuring select, outstanding and/or restored Filipino movies from 1939 to the 70s. This is implemented by the Advertising Foundation of the Philippines and

 

 

Geron Busabos starring Joseph Estrada, the actor, a.k.a. Joseph Ejercito Estrada, the President, which won for him the first of his FAMAS awards for best actor.

 

 

the People's Television Network on a co-production basis with the assistance of SOFIA, PIA, and the multisectoral members of the Foundation.

         Sineginto included a 10-minute educational segment in which the program host, Eric Quizon, facilitated a panel discussion among invited guests on the significance of the film in terms of the country's film heritage, the history of the Philippine cinema, value education, audio visual archiving, the film's technical execution, and other human interests, thus allowing the television audience to better appreciate the films.

         The launching of Sineginto was a welcome development and considered timely in the midst of the ongoing controversy then regarding the predominance of sex and violence-oriented films being shown in the local cinemas.

         It should be noted that the Philippiries has a long history of filmmaking. Our artists have been making films since 1919. The country is considered as one of the most prolific producers of films in the world and holds the record of having “the most movie-going people

 

 

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January-June 2000