FDCP’s Joey Reyes wants cinema ticket prices lowered

MANILA, Philippines – Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairperson Dir. Jose Maria “Joey” Reyes on Wednesday suggested lowering cinema ticket prices to encourage more people to go out and watch movies again.

Reyes, who has been in the film industry for over four decades, made the assertion before the Senate committee on public information and mass media hearing on proposed bills establishing the National Film Commission. 

Of the three Senate versions of the measure, Senate Bill No. 479 proposes funding a Philippine Film Commission through a “special film commission tax” of P2 on each movie ticket sold in the Philippines over a 20-year period.

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“Merong panukalang P2 special commission tax sa bawat ticket, ano pong opinion niyo dito? Tama po ba ito ang mahal mahal na ng ticket?” Sen. Robin Padilla, head of the Senate panel, asked Reyes. 

(There is a proposed P2 special commission tax on each ticket, what is your opinion on this? Is this right, the tickets are already expensive?)

Reyes then rejected the proposed tax measure, lamenting the price of movie tickets.

“Alam mo sen [senator], dapat nga bawasan yung presyo ng ticket, hindi dagdagan. Dapat bawasan yung presyo ng ticket… Wag na lang sen,” the director responded.

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(You know, sen, the ticket price should be reduced, not increased. The ticket price should be reduced… Don’t do it, sen.)

He stressed that the government could find other ways to fund the film commission, for as long as Filipinos are able to watch movies in cinemas. 

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“Saan ba mapupunta ang P2 ito? Ano ang function nito? Dahil naiimagine ko mayroon naman talagang ina-allocate na budget para sa komisyon eh… Kung sinasabi natin para sa ikauunlad ng komisyon etcetera, etcetera, hanapan na lang natin ng ibang paraan. Ang importante ay manood ang tao ng sine. At manonood ang tao ng sine kung ibaba mo ang presyo ng ticket,” an impassioned Reyes told the panel.

(Where will this P2 go? What is its function? Because I imagine there is actually a budget allocated for the commission… If we are saying it is for the development of the commission etcetera, etcetera, let’s just find another way. The important thing is that people go and watch movies. And people will watch a movie if you lower the ticket price.)

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Directors’ Guild of the Philippines, Inc. Board of Trustee Member Dir. Carlos P.E. Siguion-Reyna echoed Reyes’ sentiment on the matter.

“Agree kami na dapat maghanap na ng paraan para hindi na maitaas [ang presyo] ng ticket, in fact kung pwede maibaba [ang presyo] ng ticket,” Siguion-Reyna noted.

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(We agree that we should find a way to stop increasing [the price] of tickets, in fact if we can lower [the price] of tickets.) /jpv